That Force That Binds Us Together
by ThisIsAwesomeness
Summary: Annabeth is afraid of commitment. Percy doesn't have the luck in relationships. By some push of fate, they meet and become friends. Percy soon learns about Annabeth's fear and helps her get over it. But add in some hearts and flowers and an ex-boyfriend/should've been fiance, Percy begins to wonder if he's the one having problems committing to his feelings after all.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Well, look who's back! Did anyone miss me while I was MIA? Guess none. Anyway, I'm back with a short multi-chapter story. This is a Percabeth AU as usual (shut up they're my OTP). I'll be free until December ends so I guess that's the time I have to write. After that, well. . . . Please tell me what you think of this and if this was even worth continuing.**

 **Special thanks to KorrohShipper for being my beta even though I suck. Yeah. Thanks really.**

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Annabeth shuffles on her bed and snuggles into her pillows closer, the subtle citrusy scent of her shampoo making their way inside her nostrils. She breathes in and tries to ignore the constant ticking of the clock, its low tick tock sound slowly irritating her. Her insomnia is starting to get back again after weeks of sleeping without it. It also doesn't help the fact that she got this big project coming. And although she might be awake at night, it doesn't mean that her mind is awake too. Grumbling to herself about paying another cup of coffee tomorrow, Annabeth decides to test her luck in getting a decent amount of sleep when she hears Athena screeching loudly, followed by a muffled pained cry.

Annabeth hastily scrambles off the bed and puts a shirt on as she blindly fumbles for the light switch. The bulb flickers on, and she has to shield her eyes from the sudden brightness.

"Meowww!" Athena shrieks again, and Annabeth rolls her eyes.

This has been the situation almost every night—her cat screaming her head off for something so insignificant. A little scratching sound here, the soft closing of the door and even the sound of a flicking switch—the black cat howls at almost everything. Heck, maybe even to the snores of her neighbors.

If Annabeth just didn't get too attached with the grumpy cat, she'd easily send it for adoption. But Athena has been a constant in the blonde's life now— that even the cat's unjustified anger for almost everyone and everything became a bit tolerable.

Just a bit.

Once she finds herself at her front door, Annabeth opens it with her left hand posed at her waist, ready to reprimand the cat when her eyes widen in surprise.

A man—who looks no older than her—glares at the cat, while clutching his left leg. Athena only mirrors his stare; the cold and unforgiving silvery eyes of the cat burns something that looks like a threat at the guy. They both seemed unfazed by their intense staring session until the man hisses in pain. The sound of him cursing shakes Annabeth out of her stupor.

She rushes at his side and carefully examines the bleeding scratches Athena made on his leg. "Are you okay?" she asks then instantly smacks herself internally for such a stupid question.

"Your cat scratched me," the man says, his voice rich and deep, "do you think I'm okay?"

Annabeth decides to ignore his snarky remark. "Let's come inside and I'll help you patch it up."

"Alright."

He moves to stand up and almost loses his balance when Annabeth helps him to his feet. They walk inside slowly, with Annabeth supporting his weight. The guy suddenly stops and gestures to Athena, who seems to be skinning him alive in her head.

"That. . . thing isn't going to scratch me again, is she?" he asks warily. Annabeth tries not to laugh at the pure look of fear in his face. His bright sea green eyes are glowing in the night- like the eyes of a phantom -and staring at her seriously.

"I'll try."

"What?!"

She laughs softly before looking at him. "Sorry. Relax, she's not gonna harm you under my watch."

It's Annabeth turn to exchange stares with Athena, hoping to convey the 'bad cat we'll talk later about your punishment' look. The message seems to work, as the cat reluctantly turns and shuffles against the shadows and slips into the night. Athena is also too stubborn to obey her orders. Unfortunately, the same goes with the master.

Annabeth helps the man settle on her couch comfortably before rushing off to grab the first aid kit hidden in one of the cabinets. She fishes out some cotton balls, alcohol and band aids before going back to examine his cuts.

Once Annabeth sits herself in front of him, the guy talks. "Thanks for helping me by the way. Sorry if I was a bit snappy earlier."

"That's fine. It's my responsibility to help you. After all, I'm Athena's—" she looks briefly to her cat's silhouette by the window "—owner," she responds. She takes the alcohol and cotton balls and looks at him in the eyes. "This is going to hurt a bit," she warns.

"Okay. Just be—Ouch! Aw!"

"Sorry."

They sit in silence for awhile; with Annabeth focusing on his wounds and the guy trying not to yelp in pain.

"So. . ." the guy draws out, "I'm Percy."

Annabeth glances at him with a small smile. "You're Percy. Okay."

Percy tilted his head in an attempt to stare at her. "That was supposed to be the cue to tell me your name."

"I didn't know this conversation was supposed to have a cue."

"Isn't that what most people do?"

"What if I'm not part of that 'most people'?"

"Okay," Percy lets out a full on grin. "You have a point."

"I always do." Annabeth smiles back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "But for the sake of your effort, it's Annabeth."

"Annabeth," he repeats.

"Yeah. That's my name."

"Annabeth," Percy says again, "that's a weird name."

"I didn't think Percy was a normal name either," she retorts.

"It is a normal name," he defends. "But to be fair, my real name is Perseus, which is a hundred times weirder than Annabeth."

"Yeah. And honestly, I don't think Perseus suits you. You don't look like a hero at all," Annabeth says with a teasing tone.

"And to think that I thought Aurora was your name or something along the lines of that."

"Aurora? Aurora sounds old," Annabeth scrunches her nose in disgust. "And isn't that a princess' name?"

"Yeah. Don't you want to sound like a princess?"

Annabeth shakes her head at him. "No. Those aren't just my thing. Anyway, what brings you out in this time of the night? And I'm pretty sure you're not my neighbor who doesn't come out of his apartment."

He folds his hands on his lap. "I'm a marriage counselor. I work for your neighbor next door."

"Oh." Annabeth recalls it now. The couple—Mr and Mrs. Jones had just moved in recently and were newly weds too. Apparently, they're going on a rocky road marriage judging by the late night screaming and shouting. Annabeth is sure she's heard of Percy from Mrs. Jones before, but the name escaped her memory quickly. It's not as if she knew that he'll be scratched by Athena tonight.

Percy rubs the back of his neck. "Sorry, but I can't tell much. They deserve their privacy, but I can only hope they're gonna be able to fix it."

Annabeth looks at him. "Isn't that what you do? Fix marriages?"

"I'm just there to help them identify what is wrong and give some probable solutions. It's up to them whether to take it or not," he says with a melancholic smile.

Annabeth shakily stands up; her legs feel slightly numb for crouching for so long. "There. You're all fixed up."

Percy stands too, wincing a bit from the pain. He smiles warmly at her. "Thanks for the help, Annabeth."

"No problem. And good luck with Mr. and Mrs. Jones."

He pauses by her door, "Thanks. And see you soon, I guess."

"Yeah," Annabeth says. The corners of her mouth pull a little higher. "Soon. Bye Percy."

"Good night, Annabeth," he whispers and turns around to start his way home.

When Annabeth goes back to her bed, she realizes that she doesn't need to wait for sleep to have a weird dream after all. A weird but nice dream anyway.

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 **Please review.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: And it feels so nice to be back. This chapter should have been posted days earlier but a lot of things happened and this was the only time I got to finish this. Yup. Super thanks to KorrohShipper for being an awesome beta. Really.**

 **So I guess here it is. I'm hoping you'd stay with me guys throughout the story.**

 **P.S. I know it seems really uneventful but some things will speed up soon enough.**

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To be honest, Percy loves his job. _Really_.

No matter how emotionally stressed he is in trying to talk to couples on how to fix their marriage, he still manages to keep on a positive outlook and a hopeful smile. And that smile widens even more when he succeeds in fixing a relationship on the verge of crumbling. This is something he wanted to do even before he entered college. Percy knew that being a marriage counselor could probably help him get over his painful childhood.

And yes, in a way, it did help.

Percy, as a child, had never really experienced the thrill of having a dad. He was okay with it though. As long as he got his awesome mom, Percy never really cared about having a dad. But that was a half-truth, Percy knew that to himself. No matter how many times he tried to fill his heart with all the love and affection from his mom, there would always be a space that would remain unfilled, reminding the kid of the sad fact that he didn't have a ' _father_ ' to call. It would haunt him, at times when Percy tried to suppress the need to have a dad. He kept on ignoring this, but his mom, Sally, saw through that. And that's probably why she had married this 'Gabe' guy in the first place.

Everything seemed fine at first. Gabe had gave him toys, treated his mom to dinner and played with him. Looking back, Percy wished he should've known better. But he was still a child; vulnerable to all kinds of threat and mischief. Some time later, Gabe had started to change; he had drunk more beers and gotten angry often. Percy would hear his voice shouting hurtful things to his mom, followed by some helpless cries. Even though he wanted to go and punch that Gabe guy in the face, he needed to stay in his room and follow his mom's orders. On those times, Percy would squeeze himself inside the closet with his small hands covering his ears, desperately trying to block all the sounds. And when he would come out, he would pretend not to know where the purple bruise on his mom's cheek came from.

He had suffered through those years as much as his mom. Percy might not be hurt physically but those times left a dent in his memory as a child. All those pretendings and wishful thinking left him holding onto something that was barely even there. He hated himself for thinking like that though. How Percy wished he was someone more realistic and more practical, rather than someone who's hopeful for something so unsure.

But he couldn't be someone like that, simply because _he_ _is_ _Percy_.

As soon as Sally filed for divorce, things got a little better. Percy could now see his mom smiling more often than before, and he would gladly tell that he was the same too. The wounds slowly healed but those left scars that could only serve as a painful reminder of his past. So he promised to himself that he wouldn't let the things that happened to his mom be reflected on other people's lives. Sally might not have the luck in marriages but Percy would try his best to keep a marriage from turning into shambles.

And so the reason why Percy Jackson became a marriage counselor.

As Percy walks towards his house, he sees a couple sitting on a bench. They're pressed up against each other as if they're trying to share the warmth of their bodies. Their sweet gazes to each other makes Percy look away and a sad thought passes into his mind.

Ironically though, despite being a marriage counselor, he didn't have the luck in his own relationship. He only had two girlfriends his whole life and those two were back from when he was in college. After that, no one seemed to take an interest in him.

 _Or so_ he thinks.

Perhaps he just didn't find the time to invest in his own love problem, rather _the lack of own love problem_ because of the so many pressing cases he's handling during the moment. Part of that problem is that no one seems to catch his eyes. Probably because he always had his eyes fixed at the matter at hand. Nevertheless, it doesn't change the fact that Percy Jackson, the marriage counselor doesn't have a love life.

 _Yup. Pathetic,_ he knows.

Dragging his limping self up to his mom's apartment, Percy knocks thrice before opening door and lets himself in. He's quite surprised to find his mom on the couch with a cup of coffee in hand while watching a documentary about plants. Kicking his shoes by the door, Percy approaches Sally and the woman turns her brown eyes to him.

"Where were you, Percy?" she asks.

Percy runs a hand through his hair and plops down to the seat beside Sally. He grunts as he feels the wounds on his leg stretch.

"I was at Mrs. Jones for an appointment. I couldn't refuse since there seemed to be a major problem when Mr. Jones left their apartment. I'm hoping he'll be back by tomorrow. His wife is worried sick," he replies with a sad, solemn voice.

Sally nods in understanding and nudges his side playfully.

"Any girls I should hear about?"

"Mom," Percy groans and hides his face in hands. "Why'd you keep asking that?"

"Why not? Shouldn't I be entitled to know what's going on with my son's love life?" she mutters with a smile.

"A non-existent love life, you mean."

"Percy..." Sally starts but notices the blood stains on his slacks. "What happened with your leg?"

"Oh, some grumpy cat got mad at me and did those—" he looks at the cuts hidden by band-aids "—on my leg."

"I told you to be careful always."

"I am careful. Good thing that Annabeth woke up and cleaned the cuts for me."

Sally's head whips to her son with a raised eyebrow. " _Annabeth_?"

"Yeah." Percy nods thoughtfully. "She's the owner of the grumpy cat. She's really nice though."

"Really nice, huh? I think there's something more to that."

Red tints his cheeks as he buries his face in a pillow to hide his embarrassment. "Seriously, Mom? We just met. It couldn't possibly be the work of fates, or destiny or some thing of the like," Percy says, finishing the line that his mom says in these moments.

"Well—"

"And no it wasn't a love at first sight," he finishes, effectively cutting of what his mom supposed to say.

"Okay, I won't comment on that. But trust me when I say, 'Mother knows best,'" Sally says.

With a cheeky smile, Percy nods in agreement. "I know that, Mom."

"Good thing we got that sorted out, my boy."

* * *

Percy visits the Jones again two days after.

There's a smile on his face that's probably brighter than the sun behind him. Thankfully, some of the issues of the couple were sorted out and even though there's still a lot of talking left to do, Percy can see the marriage is starting to heal. It'll probably not take too long before he passes by them on the road and they would smile at him like two people under the spell of love.

The thought widens his smile even more.

"Something nice happened today?" a voice breaks his reverie.

"Oh, hey." He turns to look at Annabeth, who looks like she just got home from work. Percy nods and grins cheekily.

"Everything is going great," he says and gestures to the couple behind the door. "I just feel really glad to be of help to them."

Annabeth beams at him as she fumbles inside her bag for her key. "That's really cool. How is your leg by the way? I hope Athena didn't do much inconvenience on your part."

"It still hurts but I can manage."

"I'm really sorry for her behavior. How about I make it up to you? Is that okay?" Annabeth asks, her eyes earnest and apologetic.

Percy wants to tease her a bit and ducks his chin to hide the toothy grin spreading from the thought. "Hmmm. . .I had to limp for the first few hours and it was really hard to take the stairs. . ."

Annabeth scrunches her eyebrows, as if thinking of a better offer.

". . .but I guess it would only be fair to take up on your offer, huh?" he finishes.

He hears her let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness. I was thinking you'd reject my offer and have me fined instead."

Percy shrugs. "That's a lot of work to do for such small matter. I think I'll have coffee by the way."

"Okay. You don't mind waiting for a bit? I'm going to get changed."

"I don't mind. But you have to treat me another for tomorrow."

"Why, may I ask?" Annabeth faces him with a raised eyebrow.

"You gave me two days of pain you know," Percy answers innocently.

She laughs and shakes her head at him. "You're pretty demanding."

"I'm the victim here," he whines. "And my last name's Jackson if you're wondering."

"I wasn't wondering."

"Okay. I was just saying."

And as they get their coffee, Percy hears his mom's voice in his head: "I told you it was fate", and he only smiles wider in response.

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 **Kindly leave a review and make my day better. Please.**


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Hey guys. So this is the third chapter. This was unbeta'd so all mistakes were mine.**

 **I just wanna thank these people: MAL-DaughterofChaos, those-that-wander and Kiki for reviewing last chapter. It means so much so to speak.**

 **Geez. I would just like you too know that I've finally made a tumblr account. Finally. Yup. Follow me guys. thisisawesomeness1825**

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There's a knock on the door and Annabeth scrambles to finish stacking her clothes. She sets those aside and rushes out to meet her friends, who apparently decided to ransack her fridge.

Annabeth rolls her eyes as she catches Piper throw the apple to Jason and feign nonchalance.

"Well, hello to you too, Pipes," Annabeth greets, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Having a nice time in front of my fridge, huh?"

Piper grins and takes a bite from the apple. "Come on, Annabeth. It's been a while since we last saw each other and you greet me with this?"

"I could say the same thing to you."

"But we're your friends!" The brunette exclaims and places her arms around Annabeth's shoulders for a side hug. "Am I right, Jason?"

The guy in question raises his arms and looks innocently at them. "I didn't do anything, I swear."

A smile makes it way to Annabeth's face as she playfully shoves Piper. "Alright, alright. But I swear I'm getting back at you two," she warns.

"Bring it on, Chase."

The blonde laughs and they join Jason at the couch, who has already started watching a movie.

"Hey blondie," she says as she nudges Jason with her foot.

"Hey to you too, blondie," Jason retorts.

Annabeth shoves the couple on one side of the couch as she takes up a space for her own. They talk and bicker for some more as they try to catch up with the events in their lives. But after some while, when she glances at them, Piper and Jason are asleep on her couch, cuddling.

A warm feeling settles in her as she watches the two of them together. Annabeth is really glad for them. She knows how long it took for those two idiots to stop skirting around each other and finally decided to take a plunge. Hell, Annabeth had witnessed the growth of their relationship even before the two knew of it. Even so, Annabeth couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for their relationship. She hates how she couldn't do the same with Luke. She hates how she couldn't stop holding back herself from being with him. She hates how she still couldn't get over the _fear_ of being committed to a relationship.

As she ponders on this thought, Annabeth tries to come up of the possibilities if she agreed to a marriage with Luke. Perhaps, they would be having their own place right now, cuddling on the couch peacefully just like Piper and Jason. Oh, how Annabeth wants to have that kind of life but she couldn't trust herself.

Everytime she tries to think of saying ' _yes_ ' to Luke, there's always seem to be something keeping her voice from her throat.

 _Something_. And she _so badly_ wants it gone.

* * *

After sending her visitors out, Annabeth starts to clean her the mess the mess when she hears a knock on her door.

Thinking to herself that perhaps that's just Piper messing with her again, she stomps towards the door and freezes.

 _Oh_.

It is _him_.

"Annabeth. Hi," Luke says nervously, she can tell, as he runs his fingers through his neatly combed blond hair.

He's dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, perhaps going for a casual look, but nothing seems casual right now.

In fact, Annabeth thinks this moment is everything but _casual_.

"Oh. Hey," she croaks as previous thoughts come rushing back to her, "Luke."

"Can I . . . can I go in? If you don't mind," he asks. There's a bunch of flowers in his hand and Annabeth instantly knows _why_.

She opens the door wider and gestures him in. "Uh, sure. Sorry for the mess, though."

He chuckles as he sits on the couch. "If I may remember, you were anything but messy. In fact, these doesn't look messy at all."

"Thanks," she says with a smile, "do you want anything; juice or coffee?"

"Sure, I'll have some orange juice."

Annabeth goes back to the living room with two glasses of orange juice. They remain quiet for a while, maybe trying to test the waters on how they will approach the sore subject of their relationship.

"I'm not going to beat around the bush," Luke begins as he wrings his fingers together. Annabeth takes a deep breath. "I know that you've already rejected my proposal, Annabeth, but I . . . I still want you."

"Luke. . ."

"Look, I've tried okay. I tried to move on all those months but Annabeth I can't. I know the past had been rough but I love you. I still do. Maybe we can start all over again."

Luke moves forward and clasps her hands in his. His blue eyes are staring straight at her grey ones, perhaps trying to search for the emotion that will match his. But Annabeth looks away and removes her hands from his hold.

"I don't know, Luke. I-I'm sorry that I wasn't able to fulfill your wish of marriage. I just. . . I don't trust myself. And I wouldn't want to hurt you for that," she confesses. She feels the tears prick at her eyes; Annabeth doesn't want to hurt him but she does anyway. She can see it on his deflated posture, his head hanging low and his blue eyes downcast. _She doesn't want to hurt him but she doesn't want to lie to herself either_. Annabeth knows she isn't ready for it; nowhere near ready to even discuss the subject of a lifelong relationship.

"But. . .but maybe we could try once more. I'll promise we'll take it slow. Promise. Just please give us a chance, Annabeth," he pleads to her and she doesn't have the heart to reject him anymore. Maybe, he's right. Maybe, they can start all over again.

She risks the chance.

"I-I'll think about it, I promise," she says honestly.

Relief settles on him. "Thank you. Thank you so much. You don't know how much those words meant to me, Annabeth. Thank you."

It's only after a few moments and Annabeth accompanies him to her door. She bids him goodbye and tries to ignore the heavy weight placed on her shoulders. How is she going to think about his offer? What if her decision affects him so much?

So many thoughts are running through her mind that she fails to notice Percy who _now_ stands beside her.

"Need someone to talk to?" he asks, his green eyes shining with worry.

Annabeth doesn't even refuse and makes way through her door.

"You just came in the right time, Percy. I really need someone to talk to."

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 **Yup. Luke doesn't _always_ _need_ to be the bad guy. Reviews are appreciated as always. I'm currently writing a one shot so watch out for that. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Because I'm lazy and a terrible person for rushing this chapter. I guess I'm sorry if this was a bit trashy, but I promise this would get better for the next chapters. Stay tuned as always.**

 **This wasn't beta'd so all mistakes were mine.**

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Percy thinks he could now call himself a resident of this apartment complex given the number of trips he makes to this place. And with that fact, he is pretty sure he knows at least the faces of the people residing in this place. He had even seen the man 'who barely leaves his place' as mentioned by Annabeth. So, it takes him by surprise when he sees a blonde guy standing in front of Annabeth's door.

'Maybe he's a visitor,' he thinks.

It's only after a few minutes that the blonde guy leaves that he sees Annabeth with a conflicted expression on her face. Percy, the meddlesome boy he is, decides to go and ask her why.

Annabeth seems to be buried under so many thoughts that she doesn't notice him until he speaks.

Clearing his throat and following the line of her gaze, Percy asks quietly, "Need someone to talk to?"

She looks at him and for a moment Percy thinks that she'll rather deal with her problems alone. He has a feeling that Annabeth isn't the type of person who likes depending on people. But then she sighs and opens the door wider for him.

"You just came in the right time, Percy. I really need someone to talk to."

Percy follows her inside, remembering the first time he had been here. It was in the middle of the night and he wasn't feeling good that time either. But now, in this broad daylight, he could now clearly see how lonely the place is. Even though the apartment was designed in a way that can only be called professional, he can't quite feel a certain vibe in this place. There's an element that's definitely lacking, despite the perfect arrangement of the place.

He moves to sit on the couch when he hears the familiar cries of the cat. Percy cringes and shuffles away, awkwardly. Athena the cat glares at him and she stretches her body on the furniture like she owns it.

'Sit and I'll bite you,' is what Percy thinks the cat is trying to convey.

He sighs defeatedly. Okay, floor it is.

"Why are you on the floor?" the blonde asks confusedly when she enters. She's holding two glasses of juice and a bag of chips tucked under her arm.

Percy not so subtly glances at the cat. "Your cat."

"Oh." Annabeth gestures to the couch. "Do you want to move?"

"Nevermind."

"You sure?"

"Yup. Your floor's nice and clean by the way. I feel like I could eat here," he remarks. As if to prove his point, he makes a move to kiss the floor. He doesn't do it.

She shakes her head, disappointedly. "I thought you were going to do it."

"As if. Do I look like I kiss floors on my free time?"

Her eyes scan him briefly before she shrugs. "Well, you sure do look like one."

"What?" Percy looks scandalized. Is it true that he looks like one? He's pretty sure people had called him attractive. Well, he did have a few unfortunate experiences that had involve his face and the floor, but those are beside the point. And those were on accident. "You just insulted my ego. I'm hurt."

"Yeah right. Since you're on the floor, I'll take the floor too."

"No! You can sit on the couch."

"Ssh. I do want to try the floor. I think I remember someone telling me my floor was nice and clean."

He smiles mockingly at her. "Well, enjoy the floor."

"I'm sure I'll do," she replies as she makes a room for herself beside him.

There was a good silence for awhile, neither of them trying to start a conversation. Percy thinks Annabeth is using the solitude to sort her thoughts in order, so as not to make a mess later. She appears to be the organized type.

"So. . ." he draws out, "are you ready to talk about it?"

A beat. Two. Deep breath. "Do you mind if I played a movie as a distraction? I just don't like conversing in utter silence."

"Go on. I don't mind."

It's after she inserts a disc and the opening credit starts to roll that she begins.

"Did you see a guy, tall, blond hair with a scar running across the side of his face outside my door earlier?"

Percy nods, remembering the person he saw at her doorstep.

"That was Luke. He was my ex-boyfriend."

"Okay."

She waited for a few moments before continuing. "He proposed to me before, but I said no. That's why we broke up. And he came back, begging for me to give him a chance, a chance to fix what we had before and maybe start anew. I said I'll think about it but I don't want to keep his hopes up."

He glances at her from the corner of his eyes, but she was staring intently at the screen. He knows that she's not really watching.

"Why? Is there- is there something wrong about him that made you say no? Aren't you ready for that kind of commitment?"

She chuckles dryly. "Believe me, nothing is wrong with him. Luke. . . he has always been good to me. He's nice, sweet and everything a girl could ask for. Sometimes, I wonder why he chose to stick with me."

"Don't be too hard on yourself. I'd say your nice too. If you aren't actually teasing me," Percy says. A smile graces her face and he smiles too, almost instantly.

"Thanks."

"You better be good to me, Chase."

"I thought that was genuine. Anyway, it wasn't his fault that I said no. I just. . .I- I wasn't ready. I'm not up for that kind of commitment."

Annabeth has a sad look on her face and Percy briefly contemplates about giving her a hug. He just doesn't want to see people this sad. But she probably isn't the type to appreciate touchy gestures, especially from strangers. So Percy moves a little closer until their shoulders barely brush each other. It should be enough, he thinks.

"You know, one of the factors why most of the marriages don't work is that the partners aren't ready to take the lifetime commitment. What you did was right. If you aren't ready, then don't push it. After all, it's also your happiness at stake there. Give it a little more time, find the place where you see yourself for the rest of your life," Percy advises, the counselor part of him slowly taking over. He has talked to people with the same dilemma as Annabeth and those words seem to have already been programmed in his mind. The thing is, he can't actually follow his own words.

Where exactly does he see himself in the near future? Will he be marrying a girl from his line of work, and perhaps settle on one of the nicer neighborhoods in Manhattan? Maybe, they'll have a dog and nice house with a blue picket fence, with their children, preferably a boy and girl, running around their porch.

But no matter how hard he squints his eyes, he can only see blackness: an empty, vast space.

"Time?" Annabeth asks in bewilderment. "For how long? I don't want him to keep waiting for me to be ready, knowing that he can have a better choice. I feel like I'm holding him down. Besides, it's not just the matter of readiness in question. I-I am afraid of commitment."

He can see in her eyes that she's trying to hold back her tears, that she doesn't want to appear weak. Percy just listens to her silently, knowing that he doesn't have the words to actually soothe her.

"My parents," Annabeth begins, "they weren't ready the nicest. I'd say our family's fine despite their constant shouting, bickering and fighting during late nights. At least we were whole, although there were barely any strings left to hold us together. But when I turned seven, those strings finally broke and mom and dad settled for divorce. I was forced to stay with dad since he was the main provider. But not even a month had passed when he came back with a pregnant woman.

"They built another family , another home for themselves, and I can only watch from the sidelines, as if I'm just some spectator watching the epitome of a perfect family. I was more of a guest rather than a part of the household. Ever since then, I promised to myself that I'd never marry, that would never end up with the same fate as my parents. I guess that's when the fear had started."

Percy's stunned into silence. He doesn't know what to say. This time, words have failed him and he can't find the right thing to say.

"Can I. . .Do you mind if I hug you?" he asks, because no matter how she tries to hide it, Percy can see past those facade. He doesn't want to see a person this sad. "Hugs make people feel better," that's what his mom had told him before.

She looks at him and smiles, but it doesn't reach her eyes. "I don't mind."

He opens his arms and beckons her to come closer. She moves and tucks her chin on his shoulder. Annabeth's body feels warm and for a moment, the cold, icy feeling in him melts.

"Hugs make people feel better," he says, remembering Sally's words.

"You're right."

And as Percy loses himself in the hug, his promise comes back to him. He remembers the words that he would not let a relationship fall into shambles, not if can help it. He can help them.

Percy pulls back and stares straight into her eyes. "Annabeth, please. Let me help you get over your fear. Give Luke a chance. It's not too late to fight that fear."

Annabeth looks away from him and he thinks she would turn down his offer. But then she glances back; the storm brewing inside her eyes seem to have faded into a drizzle, and she smiles.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Please review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I know that I've been inactive for almost three months now. And that's because my life sucks.**

 **Nevertheless, I'm really sorry for the short chapter. The paper where I've written the summary of the chapters is missing and I can't seem to find it. So, there.**

 **And to answer your questions: 1) YES, this is a Percabeth fic although there might be a bit of pushing Lukabeth. Just a bit, honestly. 2) Annabeth will soon notice Percy's feature for the upcoming chapters but not right not. She still needs to warm up to him better, before she starts seeing him in a different light. Like noticing his smiles or his looks. Likewise with Percy.**

 **Honestly, I have a lot of ideas for one-shot but I can't seem to find the right time to write it. The term will end soon enough, perhaps by April and then I can start writing again.**

* * *

"Annabeth," Piper begins, looking over to the blonde who's currently sprawled on the length of the couch before glances back at Athena, "you should get a companion for your grumpy cat."

The cat, apparently is doing something strange, like thinking of skinning and scratching someone mercilessly. The moment it hears what Piper is saying, the cat squints and glares at the Cherokee with eyes same as her owner.

"Nah, she's just having her _quiet_ moment."

"Yeah. And that's one creepy way to put quiet with those eyes. See, she's glaring at me like I ate all the food in the world."

Annabeth spares a glance at her cat, then yawns. "It's normal, you know."

Piper rolls her eyes and pokes her friend at the stomach. "Whatever. I still think you need to buy another cat. Or another pet. Maybe even a dog. So, she can have her own lover."

"And leave me the fifth wheel? Huh, no way I'm going to do that." The blonde reaches out her hand and beckons the cat forward, and Athena easily leans to her touch. It even starts to purr. "We're content the way we are. The only two of us for forever, right?" she asks the cat.

It looks away and doesn't answer. _The traitor_.

"Ha! Your cat doesn't agree with you at all," Piper exclaims with a teasing grin on her face.

A new voice enters the living room. "Who doesn't agree with who?"

Annabeth notices the way Piper's eyes light up at the sight of Jason, likewise with the other, even though they've been together for months now. She still finds it cute that her friends never stops admiring each other as if they're seeing them for the first time.

"Annabeth's cat apparently doesn't want to spend her whole life alone with our friend here. She's just been betrayed."

Jason feigns a look of concern at her. "Oh. I'm sorry Annabeth about your cat. I'm sure you can find a new loyal pet."

Annabeth rolls her eyes and punches both of their arms lightly. "Stop teaming against me. It's really unfair. And please don't insult Athena again if you still want to leave this place unscathed."

"That's noted."

Without warning, the doorbell rings, and Annabeth finds herself wondering if she ever invited someone to come her place. However, her mind comes up with a blank, and before she can even stand from her place on the couch to approach the door, Jason opens it.

The blonde rushes up front and peeks over Jason's shoulder to look at the visitor. Percy.

"Uh, hey. Didn't expect you here," she mutters, and then cringes at her somewhat hostile tone.

Percy grins at her, cheekily. "Oh no. I just passed here thinking you'd want to ta- hang out. Yes." He peers over to scan the place and spots Piper and the TV running. "But, nevermind. I don't want to intrude to whatever you're doing."

Piper, who has now known the situation, widens her eyes and looks over to her boyfriend for help. "Hey, don't go. Annie's just packing and cleaning her place. We'll be leaving right now, so you two can hang out after we're gone. Right, baby?"

Jason easily understands what she's trying to convey and supports the statement. "Uh, right! We have a spontaneous date at the moment."

Meanwhile, Annabeth shakes her head at them, obvious to what the couple are trying to hint. Yet, she decides not to reveal their cover though. She thinks it's kind of hilarious to see them fumble around for some lame excuse.

"But, I hate to ruin what you're planning today. I can go and—", Percy babbles on, with a guilty look on his face.

"Don't worry. You didn't crash anything. Bye, Annie. We'll see you next time. And enjoy hanging out with your friend here," Piper says and waves at Annabeth, then drags her boyfriend out of the place.

"Please tell me I didn't destroy your bonding moment or something." Percy's has that baby seal look on his face, and his eyes are just beautifully green. He looks really cute.

"You didn't," Annabeth tells him, after seeing the couple run away from her place. "But you saved me from being stuck in a third wheel again."

He shuffles and puts his hands inside his pockets. Percy's eyes have a taken a look of longing; the soft glow of his eyes seemingly melancholic. Annabeth briefly wonders if he was reliving a painful moment of sorts, and she surprises herself that she kind of wants to hug him, if not to return the favor from before.

"Believe me, I know the feeling," he huffs and smiles sadly at her. He straightens up, and the sad vibe seems to have been shaken off. "Geez, I didn't come here to talk about the woes of being a third wheel. Wouldn't you agree?"

"As much as I would like to ponder and compare our adventures, I'd rather watch a movie and talk of some. Are you in?" she asks.

"Definitely."

* * *

"So, how are the Jones doing?" Annabeth asks. She's sitting on one end of the couch, Percy on the other, while munching on some pizza.

Percy lightens up. "They're getting better, honestly. I'm really glad for them. Their issues are being resolved over time and I didn't have to talk to them separately about it. In fact, I just came from there and they look very happy."

"Seems like you've done a very good job, then. They must be really thankful."

"Oh." His cheeks start to burn and Annabeth finds it really amusing. "They don't have to. It's my job after all."

She nudges his knee with her toe and smiles at him. "Still, you must be really proud."

"Yeah. Yeah I am," he whispers softly and his lips melt into a grin. "Anyways, how are you holding up?"

Annabeth sighs loudly and puts her head in her hands. "Same as always."

"You should try to trust someone deeper. And by that, I don't mean simply mean your current best friends right now. You have already established that connection with them. Unless, you still hold back something from them?" Percy asks, as he moves a bit closer to her personal space.

"Of course, I do. I shouldn't just give everything away."

"I know. But you should learn to put your faith to someone. Like Luke. If you're contemplating to spend the rest of your life with him, then you should know if you're ready to trust him fully. But you have to trust me first." He glances at her with a curious but questioning eyes. "Do you, though? Do you trust me with your fear, Annabeth?"

The girl looks up and matches his gaze. Despite the soft aura surrounding Percy, the force and weight of his gaze is enough to haunt her subconscious. Annabeth finds herself drawn to his eyes, where she can feel herself drowning in the depth of the ocean. And, yes, she trusts him, even though they hardly even knew each other for more than a week.

"Yes," she whispers.

"Good," he says and he expels a breath. "For a moment I thought you were going to say no."

Annabeth stares at him, and his whole being that seems to be an enigma to her. It was as though Percy wasn't expecting her to trust him with that intense gaze of his. She'll admit, he isn't that at all particularly interesting compared to a mysterious novel, but he is something.

"You're weird," she blurts out suddenly.

He looks at her, wide-eyed and shocked beyond belief. "I am?"

"Yeah. You're weird, but a nice kind of weird."

"Thanks? Is that a supposed to be a compliment?"

"Maybe. Whatever helps you sleep at night."

"Okay. Thanks."

Annabeth shakes her head at him, but a smile breaks into her face. She punches his arm, lightly, and maybe, the slightest bit affectionate. "I have a feeling that we're going to be the best of friends. Even after this."

"I have to agree with you."

At the sight of his lopsided grin, something stirs inside her chest. It isn't just a feeling of simple friendship, Annabeth thinks. It's going to be something more, perhaps the feeling of finding your one best friend for life. Nevertheless, she's definitely happy, and not just because Percy is going to help her overcome her fear of commitment. Percy Jackson is one hell of a puzzle, and Annabeth has never been gladder to solve one.

* * *

 **This was unedited and hastily written. I'm so sorry. Please let me know what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Hi this is me again. So, the term is finally over and I can start writing again. Wee. Still, I haven't found the paper where I wrote the summary of the chapters, so I'm still kind of lost on what to write. I just hope those ideas come rushing back to my mind. If they do not, well... I'll just probably try to finish this as soon as possible.**

 **I still have a few story ideas with me that I would certainly love to write, if given the time.**

 **I'm sorry again if you think this chapter is certainly crappy, I just wrote this today and without even re-reading this again.**

* * *

"Hey—Mrs. O'Leary! Calm down, girl!" Percy says in between laughter as he tries to pry the big mass of dog fur off from his face. He barely succeeds though, before the dog runs her sloppy tongue up his cheeks.

He stops fighting, and loses himself to playing with his dog. Mrs. O'Leary's paws push against his chest, the nails digging through his shirt but Percy finds himself not caring. All he can register is the immense glee bouncing off from his dog as he plays with her; his fingers petting the familiar fur.

"See, even Mrs. O'Leary misses you so bad, Percy," he hears Sally say as she comes out from the kitchen bringing a plate full of cookies.

And just like that, his attention is already shifted; his eyes following the curling smoke coming from the freshly baked goods.

"Yeah, I miss you too, girl. But nobody can take me away from my—ouch, mom!"

Sally sends him a warning look, "Careful, you might burn yourself again."

"Okay, okay. I remember it, mom."

"And yet if it wasn't for me, you'd burn your fingers again."

Percy just smiles sheepishly, knowing that his mom was right and just settles to lounge back in the sofa.

"So…," Sally begins, after tucking her mittens away and placing her hands flat on her lap, "anything you want to tell me?"

Percy promptly lowers his face for a moment to control the grin from spreading too widely. He feels giddy, and that's how he had always felt whenever he thinks he's doing something great, likely fixing other people's marriages. Right now, with the Jones doing okay, he feels marvelous and add to the fact that he found out Annabeth trusts him. If anything, that's what Percy values most from his clients, the unwavering trust they place on him to help them overcome their obstacle. And he thinks, earning Annabeth's trust is a great feat itself.

"You're smiling, I know it," Sally observes with a knowing gaze at his son.

Percy finally looks up and lets the grin erupt on his face. "I think the Jones are finally doing great."

Sally beams at him and reaches over to hug him. "That's a very great news. I'm happy for them and so very proud of you, Percy."

"Yeah. Sometimes, I can't believe it's really happening, knowing how close they were to giving up but look at that, the managed to survive. It's really overwhelming."

"I know. I'm really proud of you, son." The woman rubs his back affectionately. She leans back to look at him. "There's still something more you aren't telling me, boy."

Percy wants to laugh, because really, nothing goes past his mom when it comes to him. He wants to tell her about Annabeth, but he hesitates. Certainly not in a bad way, but more of he just wants to keep the details to himself first. He can just tell her when Annabeth and Luke are already okay.

"There's nothing more, believe me," he lies.

Sally doesn't seem to buy it but drops the subject nonetheless. She stands and goes to one of the drawers and picks a two small pieces of paper. She holds it between her fingers as her smile grows wide.

"I've got free tickets to the newest carnival in town."

"Woah! Seriously?! That's great," Percy exclaims as he rushes up to Sally to glance over the tickets.

"Let's go there. We haven't been out for a while now. When is that?" he asks.

Sally hands him the tickets and looks at him apologetically. "The thing is, it's on Saturday and I have to go to my editor to discuss the final draft of my book. So, that's why I'm giving this to you to invite whoever you want. Please don't waste this tickets, dear."

Percy starts to protest. "But, mom! These tickets are yours—"

"Don't argue more with me, Percy. I gave it to you. Take it and enjoy. Invite Grover if you want."

"But Grover's spending the rest of the week with Juniper, out of town."

"Then, take somebody else."

"All of my other friends are going to spend their weekend with their girlfriends."

Sally frowns in thought, obviously searching for a way out. Then, suddenly her face brightens. "Then ask that girl Annabeth."

"Mom, you know she has a boyfriend," Percy pipes in.

"Well, it won't be a date. Treat it as some sort of recreational therapy. A friendly outing but with a therapy session. Wouldn't that be great?"

He wants to argue more because no matter what Sally says, this 'friendly outing' would certainly look like a date to other people. But, since when did he start caring to what other people think? His conscience is clear, and that outing would be an alternative session.

"I suppose you're right," he gives in. At Sally's expectant look, he asks: "What?"

"Well? Why don't you call her now?"

"Do I really have to?"

The woman nods with squinted eyes. "Yes. Right now."

 _Moms._

Percy reluctantly reaches for his phone inside his pocket and dials Annabeth's number which he just acquired hours ago. He waits for it to connect, as he shrinks under his mother's very intense gaze.

" _Percy?"_

"Um, hi, uh, Annabeth. If you're free this Saturday, would you be willing to join me for a _'friendly outing'_?"

. . .

 _This was a bad idea_ , Percy thinks to himself.

He's currently standing in front of the flower boutique down the street, hands tucked inside his pants as he waits for Annabeth to show up.

Actually, he isn't at all repulsed by this idea. In fact, he likes it but there's a nagging feeling inside him that warns him, _this isn't going to end nicely bruh_. Nevertheless, he shoves that thought down the furthest corner of his mind; he doesn't need more thoughts that would just make him think about it more.

Just like now, for example.

"Hey," a voice jars down his thoughts. "You okay?"

Percy looks up from glaring daggers at the pavement to Annabeth, who's now standing in front him in a casual jeans and blouse outfit. There's a curious smile on her face as she stares at him. A brief thought passes by his mind that sounds like, " _wow, she looks really pretty_ " before a Percy hand snatches it out of nowhere and hides it somewhere at the back of his internal mind closet.

 _I really shouldn't think these thoughts._

"Um, yes. I'm fine," he says casually, while running his fingers through his hair. Her eyes follow the movement and Percy thinks, _I should really stop doing this_. "I'm just thinking and stuff."

"Just thinking and stuff," Annabeth repeats, and she looks like she's trying not to laugh. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Well, we'll have to enter the carnival and stuff, ride a few rides maybe. After that, we can probably talk about some stuff."

"So, basically we're going to do stuff," Annabeth says, with a grin too wide to hide.

Somehow, his cheeks feel like they're burning and he has to press his face on his arm to stop the Percy-is-embarrassed smile. "Yeah. _Stuff_."

A few silent beats pass before Percy speaks up. "So, you're ready to go?"

"Wait. _I'm still thinking and stuff_ ," she says with a straight-face before she starts cracking up.

"You're laughing at me," he exclaims. Percy pinches her arm lightly, just to annoy her. "That is so mean of you, Annabeth."

"Yeah, I get that I'm mean and _stuff_. But it's kind of funny that you kept on saying _stuff_."

Percy feigns annoyance and crosses his arms on his chest. "Laugh all you want now. I'll get my revenge later."

"I bet you can't."

"Oh. I'm sure I will."

. . .

"Oh, please tell me you're lying," Annabeth says as they stand in front of the entrance of the newest carnival.

Percy, whose hands appear almost blurry as he keeps digging in his pockets and wallet, searching for those two tickets that basically lead them here. And apparently, those are missing.

"Shit. I can't find it," Percy mutters in annoyance. He looks up at Annabeth with an apologetic look on his face.

"Well?"

"Uh, so do you mind if we take a spontaneous trip at the park?"

Percy holds his breath in, waiting for her response. He's sort of afraid that the trust she has in him have been stained now, and that she'll probably stop talking to him after this.

Annabeth sighs but then she doesn't look mad or disappointed. "I wouldn't mind. And the park looks nice today, isn't it?"

A smile grows on his face as they step away from the gates of the carnival and start walking towards the park.

"You're smiling," Annabeth points out.

"Why? Is that bad?"

"Nope. Just pointing it out."

He risks a glance at her and smirks. "Well, you're smiling too."

"So?"

"Nah. Just pointing it out."

Annabeth shakes her head at him before punching his arm lightly. "Stop repeating my words."

"Well, you started it," Percy retorts, sticking his tongue out like a child.

"And yet, you followed it anyway," she answers back, making a funny squinting look at him.

Percy glances at her squinting face, and somehow, he gives up forcing his smile down at all.

. . .

When he gets home, Sally's already sitting at the sofa, a book propped open in her lap while she drinks coffee from a mug.

He sees the tickets at the table and now he remembers that he sort of forgot to pick it up before going outside.

 _Oh_.

But somehow, he finds himself smiling. If not for those forgotten tickets, he wouldn't experience the same fun he had this day.

"You're happy."

Percy looks at his mom, who has now closed her book and started watching him. "What?"

Sally smiles a knowing smile and repeats what she said moments ago. "I said you're happy."

He tries to frown and pretend that he isn't actually smiling. "No. I'm not."

"Yeah, fool yourself Percy. But that can't escape me."

He scowls and crosses his arms over his chest, his lower lip jutting out the slightest bit. Percy tries to hide the small smile threatening to find its way on his face but upon remembering what he and Annabeth did a while ago, the grin erupts anyway. He looks away guiltily from his mom, as the smile grows certainly wider.

"Still not happy?"

"Okay fine, you got me."

Sally's eyes suddenly brighten and she looks really interested in hearing the details of the 'friendly outing'/therapy session. "So, what happened to the session?"

Percy looks confused for a moment. _Session? Why would there be a sess—Oh._ Oh. He certainly forgot that the friendly outing was supposed to be an alternative therapy session. That thing slipped on his mind when in fact, it was supposed to be the motivating factor in the first place.

"Um—"

"You forgot about it, didn't you?" his mom asks.

"Uh, yeah," Percy answers sheepishly. "I guess you didn't think it was a bad thing?"

Sally just grins and turns back to her book, with a really creepy knowing look in her eyes. " _Oh, believe me. It's not a bad thing at all_."

* * *

 **I know that I'm the worst, but please do share with me your thoughts on this. Thanks.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Hi. I'm back again. I'm absolutely feeling sleepy right now even if it's 12:45 in the afternoon here. Anyways, this was rather short and makes really no sense and it was supposed to be longer but I decided to cut it here and the rest be the next chapter. I'm actually writing another oneshot and I hope I get the will to finish it before I lose hope with that one.**

 **I'm really sleepy.**

* * *

Annabeth closes the door to her bedroom before plopping down on her bed, face first.

She lets out a loud yawn as she tries to keep her eyes open and sees Athena looking at her strangely. In fact, she must have look strange to her cat with that wide smile and sleepy eyes, but she regrets nothing. The friendly outing she had with Percy earlier was really exhausting and energy-draining, but it never stopped to keep her laughing and grinning all the while. Annabeth finds herself smiling more too, even in the absence of Percy's lame jokes and sarcastic comebacks, just by simply reimagining the moments that made up the day.

To be honest, Annabeth never thought that opening up to someone could be this laidback and easy. She always thought that it was one of the hardest battles she'd have to win herself to be able to trust more, but with Percy, everything seemed so easy. She doesn't know if it's just because of his carefree yet thoughtful attitude. But opening things up with him felt like the second easiest thing to do for Annabeth next to breathing. It is as though trusting Percy is an easy thing to achieve itself, despite the fact that she has issues when it comes to trust.

She'd also learned little things about him, too. He isn't just simply listening and giving the right course of action for a specific behavior, rather he relates to the problem itself. She'd learned that he became a marriage counselor because of personal experience. She'd found out that his stepdad used to beat his mom and that he was tortured to listen to the helpless pleas and cries of his mom. However, he did not used that experience to inflict hurt and damage to other people through revenge, rather he used that to further strengthen his resolve to help other people fix their marriages.

A small smile creeps up Annabeth's face as she recalls these information, and beckons her cat closer through a hand gesture. She vaguely remembers her first encounter with Percy through Athena, and suddenly, laughter bubbles up her throat.

"I don't know whether to thank you or to scold you for scratching Percy's leg that night," Annabeth starts, as Athena's big, grey eyes peer up at her curiously, "because surely, what you did Athena was a bad thing." At this, the cat's eyes turn to slits and her mouth pulls down to a frown.

"But, I guess, I have to thank you for bringing him to me."

* * *

"O-kay," Annabeth begins, her eyes moving to Percy's for clarification. "I don't think this isn't the right paper, Perce."

Percy squints his eyes, trying to make sense of the words that are swimming in his vision. Actually, he was diagnosed with dyslexia since he was a kid, and it soon became a hindrance to his learning. Add to the fact that he was also ADHD, it didn't help at all for such an eight year old kid to love school. However, he managed to struggle though, no matter how excruciatingly tiring reading the words in his mind first before processing those and saying them aloud. Soon enough, the letters arranged themselves in his vision and he instantly blushed in response.

"Uh. Right," he mumbles ashamed. He was supposed to make her read some articles about commitment problems that he gathered around the web but what he gave her instead was the blue cookie recipe of his mom (with added notes and warnings for him too, mind you). "I mean you're right, and that is wrong—No—the paper, I mean that's wrong and you're completely right that that paper is wrong. Of course—"

Annabeth chuckles at him and Percy blushes redder. "I get it, Percy."

"Right. Of course, you got it," he laughs nervously. He scratches the back of his neck in order to save himself some dignity. "I'm sorry by the way. I didn't intend to grab the wrong paper but sometimes dyslexia gets the best of me."

"It's fine," Annabeth waves it off, but then upon registering the words in her brain, she stares at him, shocked. "Wait. You have dyslexia, too?"

Percy nods then scrunches his eyebrows at her. "You do, too?"

"Yeah," she confirms, though her voice is a little fainter like she's almost shy to admit it. "I've been struggling when I was a kid, but it got better with practice."

"Awesome. It's still kind of hard but it's technically better than before. You're lucky. I honestly can't believe you are dyslexic. You seem—you seem too smart."

"Seem?"

"Well, _you are smart_. That's okay?"

"Better." Annabeth flashes him a grin and she leans back to raise her eyebrow at him with a matching smug smirk. "So…what about this recipe? The world's most delicious blue cookie by mom."

Percy easily snatches the paper from her, although his face right now kind of resembles a very ripe tomato. "What? They are the most delicious blue cookies."

"Well, I don't think you have enough evidence to support your claim, Mr. Jackson," Annabeth retorts jokingly, pretending to be a lawyer.

"Why, I would make sure that you have a taste of it yourself, Ms. Chase and you'll see the wonders the blue cookie would do to you. I would try to bring one on my next visit."

"Oh, please do. Can't wait to prove me wrong, Mr. Jackson?"

"There has never been a better job than proving you wrong, Ms. Chase," Percy whispers in a quiet and all too serious tone that Annabeth can't help but laugh at the absurdity of the matter.

"What?" Percy asks, dropping the pretenses of using a formal language to address Annabeth.

Annabeth stares at him with a wide, curious glow in her eyes. She doesn't speak for a moment and neither does he, but there are the faintest traces of a growing smile on her face. Percy thinks she looks gorgeous like this—her grey eyes devoid of their usual dull, lackluster look and seem to be competing with the brightness of the stars themselves, her golden blonde curls pulled back from her face but nevertheless escaping the ponytail anyway and the healthy, red flush on her tanned cheeks brought by laughing. He never really noticed her until now; when she isn't actually in the best condition to be called drop-dead gorgeous, but this, there's something about her that screams beautiful.

"Nothing," she then concludes. "I just realized you're kind of a dork."

"Wow. Thanks for that."

Annabeth scowls at him and elbows him not too gently on his side. Percy thinks he should feel at least a bit hurt, but then he catches her subtle smile as she turns away from him. A small smile unknowingly travels to his lips, and he thinks he shouldn't focus on her eyes and her smiles but more on calming the sudden racing of his heart.

* * *

They've just finished watching a really cliché chick flick when the doorbell rang.

With a playful shove to Percy, Annabeth stands up from her place on the floor. "I'll get that."

She only takes a few paces before she's already holding the knob in her hand and turning it to open the door.

When Annabeth sees the face behind the door, her eyes widen quite comically.

"Um, Luke?"

* * *

 **Because I'm so sleepy I decided to leave it here. Please don't get mad at me.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: This had been sitting in my laptop for so long, hanging unfinished. I'm alternately working with this and the oneshot but I'm kind of having doubts continuing with this one. Don't worry, it's not anything serious but I hope it wouldn't get there.**

 **Still, thank you for all of the reviews. I read all of them and it really warms me to the toes.**

* * *

To be honest, Percy had his fair share of embarrassing moments in his life. That one time when he tried to ask out a girl and it ended up with the girl calling him a maniac. He's not really sure how it happened, but he supposed the details get blurry after so many years of trying to forget that encounter. Then, there's one too when he got slapped and lectured by a 60-year old woman for entering a wrong comfort room in a high-end restaurant. Yet, he reasoned it wasn't his fault though, because the signs were too confusing for his dyslexic mind to comprehend. After that, he can't barely look at the name of the restaurant without cringing.

But now, this moment seems to be competing for the top position in Percy's Most Embarrassing Moments.

He raised his head to look over the door, wondering what's taking Annabeth for so long when his eyes landed on the pale, pinkish scar on the face of a man he first saw outside Annabeth's apartment. Now, looking back at it, he should've recognized at first glance but it seemed as though his mind was running slower than the record.

The man with the scar looks up and sees him, the man's crystal blue eyes narrowing for the slightest bit. Annabeth seems to catch on though and turns to look over her shoulder only to find Percy standing behind them. She looks back up at the man and takes his hand.

"Luke," she begins and gestures her towards Percy, "this is Percy. He's a friend. He's helping me to solve some…problems."

"And Percy, this is Luke. He's my…um, _close friend_."

Luke visibly tenses at that, and so does Annabeth, but he instantly relaxes and offers Percy his hand.

"Hi. I'm Luke. Nice to meet you."

Percy takes it and tries not to grip it tight. "Percy here. Nice to meet you too."

"So…" Annabeth starts, her hands clasping together as she glances between the two. "Anyone up for some pizza?"

Percy shakes his head and smiles sadly. He wants to save some dignity to himself and not be caught in another embarrassing situation again. Especially this one that concerns Annabeth and her, uh, _close friend_ , Luke.

"Um. Thanks for the company, Annabeth but I think should go. I remember Mom saying that's my turn to do grocery today, so…" Percy says.

"Are you sure?" she asks, and he thinks he sees a _please don't go, not now_ in her eyes. But, it must've been his imagination.

"Yeah. I'm sure. So...I hope you have a great time. Annabeth. Luke," he mutters before slowly backing towards the door.

"You too, bro."

Percy opens the door and steps out. The wind blowing outside hit his face harshly, and makes him step back a bit. He leans against her door and closes his eyes; his mind going over the way Annabeth's eyes had look the moment he stepped out of her door.

* * *

The apartment is terrifyingly quiet, save for the sounds of the closing credits of a movie. Both seem too scared to breathe, as if one intake of oxygen can send them both combusting. Annabeth wrings her fingers nervously and stares at the floor.

"So…not to be rude or anything but, why are you here?"

Luke stares at her, his face smiling somewhat sadly. "I was hoping we could hang out. You know, like _close friends_."

Annabeth tenses at that. "What I mean with that Luke is, we haven't actually set an agreement that we would still be dating. So, I guess that makes us close friends."

He chuckles, dryly. "I know. That's why I'm here to ask you out if you'd agree. I'd understand if you don't, I mean, if you're still not ready or _if you already have plans_."

Annabeth gapes at him. "We're—I'm not—Percy's just a friend. He helps me to overcome the fear. He's a marriage counselor to the neighbors."

"I get it. I get it." He waves a hand to dismiss the thought. "It's a good thing that he helps you. How much do you pay him?"

She shakes her head at him, frowning. "He didn't ask for anything in return. He just wants to help, that's all. God knows how many times I've offered but he just refused."

"What a kind man," Luke muses, while watching Annabeth's face intently for her reaction. "Any woman would be lucky to have him."

"Yes," she agrees, her frown melting into a soft smile, the end of her lips barely curling upward like she's careful to show it; one that he hadn't seen on her even before. Her eyes are serene and gentle, and somehow, that digs a hole in his chest, miles deep.

"She would be so lucky, indeed."

* * *

"I haven't been in a double date since ages ago," Piper exclaims, her kaleidoscopic eyes swirling with brighter colors. "Don't you agree, Jason?"

The blond guy laughs. "Yeah. We haven't been on a real date for so long aside from anniversaries."

Annabeth rolls her eyes at them. "That's because you two are practically on a date every day."

Luke laughs behind Annabeth. "Still going strong, huh?"

"Stronger than ever before," the brunette confirms.

They're walking towards a little restaurant by the town where they used to have their double dates, back when Luke and Annabeth are still together. But now, it really seems ages ago. So many things have changed since then.

When they finally enter the door, they sit at the table for four beside the window. The guys sit across the girls. They all have their orders taken when Annabeth feels a vibration in her pocket. The others are talking animatedly as she opens her phone. A text from Percy.

;

From: Percy Jackson

 _I might've psobsily found d closet 2 narnia_

She smiles as she reads the text. Annabeth then wonders if she should play along with his antics.

;

To: Percy Jackson

 _Oh no! Impossible. I'm pretty sure it's in my closet._

To: Percy Jackson

 _And you spelled 'possibly' wrong. Dyslexia again? :)_

;

From: Percy Jackson

 _Noooooo…only i could go. but i'll make u an xception_

;

To: Percy Jackson

 _It thrills me to accept your offer but thanks for the exception._

;

From: Percy Jackson

 _But, srsly, i think some animal lived in my closet while im away. I cant find my shirt_

;

To: Percy Jackson

 _Ha! I knew it! Yours was only a pile of messy clothes. I have the real port to Narnia. *evil laugh* And I think you have a zoo in your wardrobe, Percy._

 _p.s. please construct your sentences properly_

;

From: Percy Jackson

 _Tnx for the necugramnte, realy. I hope 2 find my shirt in ths zoo closet_

 _p.s. Stop being perfect ;)_

;

This time, she grins. Something warm and fluffy flutters down to her heart from his words. Annabeth ignores it though. She keeps saying to herself that it's only an innocent praise. Nothing more, nothing less.

Despite her attempts to hide her phone, Piper sees it anyway. The brunette elbows her in the side and whispers when Luke's not looking.

"Who're you texting?"

"No one."

"You're grinning. There must be someone."

"I told you, no one."

" _Psh, no one my ass_. Who?"

Annabeth angles the screen of the phone at her. 'Percy?' she mouths.

The blonde nods.

And this time, it's Piper who's having a hard time keeping the manic grin off her face.

* * *

 **Ugh. I'm having a huge writer's block. Save me.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry for taking this long to update. I've just recently finished a one shot and I'm out of ideas for the time being. Please check out my recently posted fic, Say You'll Remember Me, if you still haven't. It would really be a great boost for me if you do so, much more if you leave a review.**

 **And thank you so much for all the suggestions you left in your reviews! Those are very much appreciated.**

 **I'm currently thinking of writing a multi-chap fic. It's going to be a Soulmate/Greek gods universe and of course, Percabeth. I'm still polishing the plot though but I hope to write the prologue soon.**

 **Super thanks to: leylisfriends2000, MAL-DaughterofChaos, ImSuperFluffy, Guest and Prissy. Kudos to you people!**

* * *

A wide smile slowly makes it way on Percy's face as he sees the message on the screen, his mind barely even struggling to recognize the words sent by Annabeth. He considers typing a reply, but his mind is too busy melting to form at least one coherent thought. In the end, he settles for a dolphin emoji because he's a dork and he can't figure out what to say back.

When the message starts sending, Percy locks his phone screen before tucking it inside his pocket and pretending as if he doesn't have the widest crack on his face at the moment. He doesn't succeed though, because even the passersby start noticing his good mood and they flash a smile back in his direction. He then shakes his head in disbelief, wondering what's happening to him. For the record, Percy had never smiled for minutes straight like this, especially for something so silly said over the phone. Of course, he's a jolly person himself, who takes delight on making people happy. But this time, he isn't the one making jokes and he has never been this genuinely happy before. Percy knows it's something that Annabeth excels at and perhaps, the only one who can do that, but he refuses to fully acknowledge the thought. After all, believing in it could start and spark something that he knows he shouldn't feel. God knows how he didn't want his mom smiling at him with a twinkle in her eyes that says, "I told you so."

Nope, he doesn't think it is what his mom thought this to be. Completely different. Percy doesn't like Annabeth at all. Nope, not even a bit.

He shakes his head pitifully at himself. What an exaggerated lie.

Percy then considers going back home to start berating himself for talking to his thoughts when suddenly, his vision gets smothered by a mass of fiery red curls and small arms wrap around his middle.

When the person pulls back, he's met by Rachel's bright green eyes that were almost like his. Oh geez, what a day it is.

"Hey Perce," she says for an introduction, as she tucks her hair back in her ears. "It's been a while."

Percy rubs his neck, consciously. "Um, yeah. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. Still back at college then."

"So, what brings you in the park?" Rachel asks.

"I was just taking a stroll earlier. I was about to head home when I bumped to you."

"Oh. So, did you continue your degree about marriage counseling?" Then she slaps his arm, lightly, with a playful glare. "Why didn't you catch up? You did promise we'd still be friends!"

"Yeah. I did finish with that and landed a job on the same field," he answers. He shifts his eyes down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I wasn't able to talk to you. I was just… um, busy."

Rachel shakes her head at him, disappointingly. "Being busy isn't an excuse, mister. By the way, have you settled down yet?"

"No."

"Any relationships, engagements or any of the sorts?"

"Um, no?"

"Don't tell me you haven't dated anyone since we broke up!" Rachel says.

He shrugs. "Well, I did went on a few dates or so, but—"

"No one really catches my attention," she finishes. "Come on, Perce. I know what we had was wonderful, but you have to find someone better. The right one for you."

"I know, I know. I'm looking okay, but I still have so many on my plate at the moment that I have barely enough time to look for a relationship."

She squints her eyes at him. "Not the right excuse. Look at me, I took a step back from all those imaginary reasons I had in my mind and now, I'm happily married!"

A wide grin spreads on his lips. "Seriously? Congratulations, Rachel! Why wasn't I invited?"

"I did invite you, y'know," she says as a matter of fact. "I guess you forgot because you're so busy."

"I'm sorry."

Rachel laughs at him. "I was just kidding. But seriously, there should be at least someone in your life at the moment."

Percy takes a moment to answer. He wonders if Annabeth qualifies for being that someone. "Um, _no_?"

"Why is that a question?" Then a knowing smile flits on her face. " _Oh, so there must be_."

"There's no one!"

"Stop lying, Perce. Tell me about that _someone_."

He huffs, but agrees nonetheless. "She's just a friend, okay. I'm just helping her for some reason and she has a sort of boyfriend that she refers to as a close friend at the moment. That's it."

"That's not all."

"That is all."

Rachel regards Percy with a smug smirk. "Nope. And the important part that's missing is…"

"Nothing."

"Perce…"

He hides his face in his hands. "Okay. So I might have a super tiny crush on her, fine?"

"I don't think there's something wrong with that. I mean if they're not together, so what's the problem? Unless she doesn't have a super tiny crush on you too," she says.

"Remember the part when I said I was helping her?" Percy asks.

"Yes. What about it?"

"Well, the thing is…," he trails off, as red starts tinging his cheeks, "I might be helping her to get back with her sort-of-boyfriend-but-a-really-close-friend."

As realization starts dawning on Rachel's face, she looks at Percy with wide eyes.

"Well, _shit_."

* * *

Percy looks down on the puppy resting on his arm, then glances back up at the door in front of him. He's not really sure if giving pets is still considered friendly rather than a sign of endearment, but he kind of wants it to be both so he doesn't bother. The only thing running on his mind right now is whether Annabeth would accept his gift, and take this gesture as a form of flirting from him or deny the puppy and destroy their connection forever. Although the latter seems quite impossible, he doesn't want to push his luck.

And in the back of his mind, he secretly prays that this plan Rachel pushed him to do is foolproof enough to make it worth it. He hopes.

Percy knocks on the door with a little difficulty because of the puppy in his arm, but he thinks he did fine enough judging by the sound of footsteps approaching the door.

The door opens and Annabeth's face comes through, and suddenly the words in his mind have started turning into useless mush. A hopelessly embarrassed smile flits on his face, as Percy thinks of something or anything really, to say. He settles for something casual.

"Hi," he says, a bit breathless.

"Hey," she replies back with a grin. Then her gaze falls on the puppy. She glances back at him with a confused look.

The look she gave him still didn't register for his mind for at least three seconds, because he was busy staring at that cute little freckle near her left eye. Percy's face instantly heats up and he bites on his lip to stop the curse that follows. He raises the puppy, a small Border Collie pup, with mixed black and white fur.

"Um, I got you a dog?"

Annabeth looks at him, skeptically. "And…why did you get me a dog?"

"Because it's friendship day. And I remembered how grumpy Athena could be, so I brought you a dog instead," Percy answers in a rush, not really sure where he got the notion that today was friendship day. Heck, he didn't even know if there was one.

"Percy, you do realize that Athena is a cat, right?" she asks.

"Yeah…?"

"And you do realize that you got me a dog. While I have a cat. A dog and a cat in one place, Percy," Annabeth says, like she's trying to make him see sense.

"I know," he repeats, because he knows. "And he's name is Poseidon by the way."

Annabeth stares at him like she doesn't believe what he's saying but a small smile tugs on her lips anyway.

"You gave me a dog named Poseidon. And I have a cat named Athena. This is so fucked up."

She frowns while she's saying this, but as reality hits them both, she starts laughing. The kind of laugh that makes her throw her head back and somehow, release an undignified snort, but Percy finds himself losing in the sound anyway. He laughs too, because no matter how silly they were being at the moment, he just can't help but be happy with Annabeth. He then catches her eyes, bright and full of mirth, and something comes alive inside of him, like a matchstick being ignited, and all of a sudden, his heart starts thumping thrice the beat.

Percy gulps.

 _He has it bad._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Hey, Piper," Annabeth begins as she straps the dog collar to Poseidon's neck, and attaches the leash Percy bought for her when he got her the dog, "you're staying here for a while, right?"

"Um, yeah," Piper nods, her eyes going over to the ceiling as she thinks it over. "Jason's not going to pick me up until 4, so you got about 5 more hours of Piper-time to enjoy."

She looks down at Annabeth, who is making weird faces with the Border Collie pup her counselor- _friend!_ had bought her. Piper squints at her. "Why do you ask?"

The blonde's fingers curl over the fur of the dog as she pets him, and picks him up to carry with her arms. She presses her lips to the pup's forehead and the puppy yelps happily, and Annabeth smiles.

It's so sickeningly sweet and cute that Piper has to wonder whether this blonde is her bestfriend Annabeth at all. She isn't used to Annabeth being all affectionate and sweet over somebody, to a dog, nonetheless, when she has her cat Athena all along. It's a new and weird change for her friend, but Piper is glad that despite the change being weird, it is the good kind of weird.

"I'm gonna take Poseidon—" Annabeth begins, but the brunette raises a hand to stop her.

"Wait—who?"

"Poseidon," she repeats, gesturing to the dog. "His name is Poseidon. Haven't I told you that?"

"Nope. All I know is that _your friend Percy_ —" Piper makes an emphasis on the word friend, "—gave you a dog because he thought it's friendship day without even remembering the fact that you have a cat. A cat. A grumpy one at that, mind you."

"Yeah well, even if it wasn't friendship day, it's still a nice thought. Giving a dog, I mean. They're much open with their affections. Isn't that right, Poseidon?"

The dog waggles his tail and licks her chin as if agreeing with her point.

"It looks like you've been attached to the dog ever since," Piper points out. "Too attached, I think. Athena's giving him angry glances and squinted glares if you haven't noticed."

"That's because he's such a nice dog. And Percy's always asking me about him," her friend answers smoothly.

Piper eyes her friend, looking for any signs of discomfort but there's none. She isn't lying. But Piper wants to press on further. "Are you sure that's just it?"

Annabeth stops petting the dog and tilts her head questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"That you're just attached to dog because he's nice. Are you sure there's no other reason? Like it being from Percy, for example."

"Of course, that's just it. It's not as if—as if I like Percy like that."

That brief hesitation makes Piper grin, but she has to tone it down or else Annabeth would notice. "I'm not saying about liking somebody, but you've been spending more time with him, to be honest."

Annabeth squints her eyes at Piper. "Tell me honestly, are you jealous I'm having a new bestfriend?"

"Wait. He's your new bestfriend?!" Piper exclaims, and cups her mouth with her palm. She feigns tears and hurt. "I'm so hurt you've replaced me."

"You're crazy," is what the blonde says and rolls her eyes.

Piper stops the drama and grins impishly at Annabeth. "But seriously, he's your new bestfriend?"

"I think. I mean, it's not like you've stop being my bestfriend or anything, but it just seems like he is too. I get along with him so easily it's kind of terrifying but we—we just connect. Just like that. I don't know how to say it and I haven't told him either."

"Okay. One more thing."

"You're being annoying. But, okay."

"Do you still see yourself marrying Luke?" Piper asked.

"I—" Annabeth stutters for an answer, but it doesn't come.

"Okay. You don't have to answer that," Piper says. "What're you gonna ask earlier?"

"Well, I'm taking Poseidon for a walk. I'm going to ask you to watch over Athena and the apartment for a while. I swear it's not going to be long. That is, if it's not too much to ask," Annabeth says with that giddy glow in her eyes it makes the brunette give in easily.

"Thanks," the blonde says, her hand going to the knob to open the door. "Enjoy yourself."

"Hey," Piper calls, for a last minute question. "Have you ever tried looking at Percy?"

Annabeth shakes her head ridiculously at her friend. "Of course, silly! How do you think I talk to—"

"No, not like that," she interrupts. "Try _looking_ at him. Just try."

"Okay," Annabeth responds, unsure of the request, but intends to do it anyway. "I promise I'll try."

And she steps out of the door, leaving her thoughts to wonder what Piper meant about _looking_ at Percy.

* * *

"I think, well, my worst prom experience was when this guy, he wasn't even my date, just stumbled upon me and decided that I might as well be his puke bag. He threw up on my dress that my stepmother insisted me to wear even if I don't want it. I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing, but I definitely had a reason not to wear it anymore," Annabeth tells as she sits with Percy on her floor on a Friday night.

Before this, he was just supposed to check on Poseidon and give him a treat when he got into telling Annabeth the story of his younger cousin's prom and how it really sucked in his opinion. After that, they started recounting stories of their own prom experiences as they eat some chips and drink Coke.

Percy laughs and Annabeth finds herself listening to it intently as she stores the sound in her mind. She doesn't know why, but she thinks it's a pretty sound to hear.

"That's so awful, but to think you've stop wearing the cursed dress makes it even, I think. My worst prom experience was when my date kept stepping on my toes while we're dancing. And she's wearing pointed heels! I never walked out of my room the next day. My feet were aching so badly."

Annabeth shakes her head at him, disbelievingly. "I don't believe you. Maybe you're just so bad at dancing that she kept stepping on you."

"Why! I'm a good dancer, Miss Chase. I'm very graceful, I'll have you know," he retorts, as he poses quite exaggerated moves.

She smirks at him, tauntingly. "Lies. Lies. You're bluffing, I know it."

"Let me show you," he says as he stands up from the floor and stretches. He extends his arm to her. "Come on, let's dance."

"Okay, I believe you now. You don't have to prove me," Annabeth says as she tugs on his pants, lightly.

"But I want to show you. Come on."

She grips the ends of her sweatshirt and shakes her head at him. "No."

"Annabeth..." he whines.

Annabeth bites her lip and avoids his gaze. Her grip on the material of his pants. "I, I—I don't dance, okay? It's just not my thing."

Percy then crouches in front of her. His fingers tilt her face to him, until she stares straight into his eyes. _It is so, so green_. Up close, his eyes look far more wonderful than she imagined; the seemingly normal green from afar are so much prettier closer now that she can see every swirl of its colors bending like blue at some point, creating the canvas for an ocean. Annabeth then decides that his eyes isn't just green, it's _sea green_ , and somehow that thought makes her smile.

"Hey," he whispers, feeling as if the moment is too fragile for loud words and voices. "I'm sorry if I made you insecure about my comment. It's okay not to know how to dance."

"I know," Annabeth says because she knows. "It's just that I—um, nevermind."

He then takes her hands between his, and she notices how hers is so much smaller but remains a perfect fit against his larger, calloused hands. Percy then looks at her with so much intensity it makes her wonder whether this is what Piper says by looking at him. There's something in his gaze that draws her to him, strips herself bare of the walls she used to put up herself and reveals even the smallest things about herself that she used to hide. Annabeth then wonders if he could see it, see her as much as she thinks he could and if he could, her feelings start to bubble pondering if he ever liked what he saw at all.

"C'mon," he says as he tugs her up with him. "I'll teach you how to dance."

She stands there in front of him, barefooted and unsure, as he picks up his phone from where he had thrown it on the couch.

He scans and chooses a song, and he places his phone face down on the couch as the beginning chords of guitar starts playing from his phone's worn down speaker. The sound fills the empty walls of her apartment, crowding them in an atmosphere not present earlier.

He gazes at her embarrassingly, "I don't have a song best suited for dancing. I hope it's okay."

 _My eyes are no good—blind without her_

"Yeah." She nods at him and smiles. "It's okay."

 _The way she moves, I never doubt her_

"Okay," he says and heaves in a breath. "You just have to step on my feet and follow my lead. Then, you'll get the hang of it eventually."

She cautiously steps on his feet, and looks down at their feet; her tanned skin barely a shade away from his. Her hands rest on his shoulders lightly, as she tries not stumble on him.

 _When she talks, she somehow creeps into my dreams_

Annabeth curiously looks up at him. "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"No." Percy meets her stare and smiles. "You're not."

Then his hands press themselves on her back to pull her closer, his feet moving ever so careful and light to guide hers with his. He starts waltzing slowly, letting her feet move over and together with his as he— _they_ dance on her apartment on a Friday night, through his phone's worn down speaker. They're pressed together, his hips on her hips, his chest on her chest—and she feels hot all over like she had just run a marathon and is heaving large gulps of breath to calm her racing heart. It's not the best place to be but it makes her heart soar and a warm feeling to spread from her chest down to every single nerve of her body.

Annabeth lays her forehead on his chest and wonders why her mind keeps on drifting on the thoughts of doing this with Percy for the rest of her life. How the thought of being beside him every single night doesn't repulse her at all, in fact she welcomes the idea. It scares her to no end now that she has a very vague and at the same time clear idea of what she feels and she doesn't know what to do about it. She knows for a fact what she wants, but she doesn't want to acknowledge it, hoping that if she'll ignore it, it will go away.

' _Do you still see yourself marrying Luke?'_

Piper's words play over her head and she remembers how she never got to answer the question. But now, as she dances with Percy, her heart knows the answer— _have known_ the answer all along.

"So, want a change of career to be a dancer?" Percy asks her jokingly.

She grips his shoulders tight as she buries her face on her chest, hiding the grin on her face from him. "You're an idiot."

He chuckles and rubs her back, lightly. "But you're with me, anyway."

 _And I may feel like a fool,_

 _But I'm the only one, dancin' with you_

Annabeth looks up at his eyes, smiles, gratefully accepting the sudden racing of her heart.

"Yeah. I'm with you."

* * *

 **A/N:** An update! Just because I want it to be fair that I have uploaded a chapter for The Olympus Institute, I should as well upload one here. Okay, so forgive the sickeningly cheesy Percabeth. I know it could have been better but I wrote this just now, so this was rushed really and maybe even Annabeth's thoughts aren't all the coherent.

Disclaimer: The characters are not mine and the lyrics of the song as well. Characters are from Rick Riordan. The song where they danced to is **Baby Blue Eyes by A Rocket to the Moon**. You can listen to it if you want. That's where I got the idea of dancing.

P.S. Please review. This chapter was long compared to the rest so I hoped you enjoyed. There are gonna be 3 or 4 more chapters, I think. So a few more pumps and their journey here is gonna end.


	11. Chapter 11

CHAPTER 11

"Damn. Damn. Just—augh!" Percy mutters under his breath as he paces around his room, his hands running wild in his hair.

He stalks over to his bathroom and faces the mirror, with both of his hands on the edge of the sink. He remembers holding her; his hands on her waist and her body pressed close to his—remembers how he had been so careless about trying to hide his feelings.

"I—I can't believe, god, I hate myself!"

A moment later, there is a knock on his door and the worried sound of his mother's voice flits through the narrow space of his room. "Perce? Percy, are you alright? I heard some mutterings and you sounded angry."

And just then, disappointment bleeds in his system. Percy runs a tired hand on his face and fixes the angry look on his eyes, as he calls out an answer to his mom. "Mom, I—I'm okay. Trust me."

There's a beat of silence, and the door knob turns before he can even lock it. Sally peers inside the room and takes in his defeated figure by his bed. She walks over to him and hugs his huge frame before he can even protest and suddenly, he feels like a child all over again.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Percy," Sally chastises and pulls back to look him in the eye. "You're sad. Don't tell me it's nothing."

He laughs a bit, but it's hollow and joyless. "Now that I'm thinking about it, it feels really pathetic. I'm probably overreacting."

"Don't we all have that moment. Hey, is it about work?"

"Sort of."

"If this is about the Jones, I swear I'm gonna do the talk with them—"

Percy cut her off. "No, it's not about them. They're doing great actually."

Sally smiles at that but frowns again. She thinks it over before voicing her thoughts. "It's about Annabeth, isn't it?"

Percy doesn't answer, but it's enough to confirm her suspicions. He pulls himself away from his mother to lie face down on his bed, with his arms outstretched like an eagle. A pillow muffles his voice as he tries to talk. "It's not a big thing."

"Well, it must be if you're sulking like that. Did she say something?"

"It's not really her fault. Well, somehow, it is her fault, but that's going to be unintentional, so it all falls on me. It's all my fault," Percy mumbles as he thinks about her smiles and her eyes, that it is exactly his fault why his heart starts beating rapidly every time she so much glances at him. It's his weak heart's fault why he's sulking over inappropriate feelings for his friend—whom, let's not forget, is he practically setting up for another guy.

Sally's voice brings him out of his internal mind monologue. "Percy, I'm not sure I'm following what you're talking about."

"I like Annabeth," he blurts out. "In a complete, non-platonic way."

For a moment, Sally says nothing and stares at him, before a large smile quickly breaks out from her face. She tackles Percy in a hug and pinches his cheeks in the process.

"Oh my. My baby boy's got a crush," Sally coos as she grins at him. "I just don't understand why you're moping like this. You should be happy."

Percy groans and covers his face with his hands. "No, I—I shouldn't be happy. What I feel—it's completely inappropriate. These feelings shouldn't exist at all."

"I don't see why you think it is inappropriate. I mean—what's wrong about liking somebody? You're allowed to like whoever you want," his mom interjects.

"Yeah well, that's not the case when I'm practically setting her up for her ex. And don't you think it's such an irony when I, who should have been helping them back together, is also the one possibly ruining them," he mumbles bitterly, as he was again reminded why he was being stupid. "I don't know why I even bothered entertaining these feelings."

"You're helping Annabeth get over her fear, Percy. Last time I recall, that doesn't mean you're playing wingman between her and her ex," Sally says as she stares him down, trying to talk him out of his dilemma.

"That's what'll happen anyway. She asked for my help because of him."

"Getting over her fear doesn't mean she has to get back to her ex. Annabeth is not tied to that person, and whether she gets rid of the fear or not, she has the right to choose whom she'll be with, understand?"

'She has a point,' a voice in Percy's head comments, as he ponders on the words of his mother. As soon as he heard that voice, a trickle of hope flares inside of him, making him warm and fuzzy once more, but something quickly snatches the thought—his rational mind, perhaps—and he's left with a numbing cold feeling inside his chest. He hates the feeling.

"Well, even if she might decide not to get back with Luke, that doesn't mean she'll like me back anyway. And she's my client! She'll think that liking me would be an idea so weird; it's the first rule when you're being professional."

Sally moves his body so he's lying on his back and steers his face towards hers so she can look him in the eye. "She's hardly your client, Percy. You don't want to get paid and she's your friend more than anything. She's more than just your client. And I don't understand why you are so keen on belittling yourself. You're a great man, Percy and whether she likes you back or not, doesn't change it."

Her hands ruffled his hair and Sally pressed a quick kiss to each of her son's cheeks. "You've grown so much, I couldn't believe it. Look at you now, too troubled about your lovelife when you couldn't even bother to care about your playmates before."

She pinches his cheeks and smiles at him, knowingly. "I trust you to make the right decision and make yourself happy, Perce. Keep in mind that I'll always have your back."

"Thanks, Mom."

* * *

Percy tries to knock on the door with his one hand while his other one is busy holding his bag and the pack of dog food he bought for Poseidon. He terribly misses the dog, especially its owner, but he really doesn't have any choice if he wants to bury this stupid attraction six feet deep.

He waits for a few moments before the door opens and Annabeth's confused face peers from the door crack.

"Hey?" he opens up.

"Percy," Annabeth mutters as she stares at him. "You're here."

"Yeah." He rubs the back of his neck as he smiles sheepishly at her. "I had been busy these last few days, so..."

Annabeth shakes her head at him and a smile creeps onto her face. "I'm sorry I was being rude. Come in."

A little relief settles in him as he helps himself inside her apartment. Percy has just sat on Annabeth's couch when Poseidon comes bouncing towards him. The dog barks happily and licks Percy's face with enthusiasm. Annabeth walks back with glasses of juice and a grin at him.

"He's missed you, y'know," she says, sitting beside him on the couch.

"Really? Well, I missed you too," he proclaims at the dog, but it totally applies to Annabeth too. "Look, I've brought you food!"

He puts the dog down, and Poseidon runs somewhere around her apartment. The silence that leaves them speaks uncomfortable.

He's considering standing up and bidding her goodbye to avoid any happenings such as the last time, when Annabeth says something.

"Speak up."

"About what?"

She then looks at him, her face serious and unrelenting. "You've been avoiding me, Percy. Don't tell me it isn't true."

Percy rubs a hand across his face and lets out a strangled breath. He doesn't know why he can't keep the truth from her. "Okay, you got me. I might have been avoiding you these last few days."

"But why?"

It's this question that Percy is dreading the most. How is he supposed to answer that without totally spilling his feelings to her? In one way or another, even if he decided to avoid answering the question directly, she's going to find out what's happening, because she's Annabeth.

"I—I just needed some time to think for myself. Don't worry, I've been like this with everyone. I just really need to think alone," he says instead, even though most of it is a lie. Thankfully, Annabeth seems to buy his excuse because she then reaches for his hand and squeezes it.

"I understand. But don't forget that I'll be always be ready if you need someone to demand a hug from."

Her eyes find his own, and she looks so concerned about him it kind of hurts a little when he thinks about the lie. Whatever. This is better than risking his friendship with her and potentially ruining what might have been a beautiful relationship between her and Luke.

But still, it doesn't mean that it his heart doesn't shrink little by little as he thinks about what might have been if he'd been present earlier in her life, or if she decides she likes him the way he likes her too. Those thoughts are constantly haunting his mind, especially at nights when his mind is devoid of every thought but of her, and he thinks, she might've been taking joy in living in his dreams too.

He might've been unsure about a lot of things, but this, this he knows for sure that it'll take a long time before he can get her out of his mind.

"Hey," Annabeth whispers, bringing him back to present. She gently pries his fingers from the fist he had unconsciously made as he was drowning in his own world. Warmth blossoms from the nerves on his hand down to every single fiber of his body as her fingers caress his own. "You need a hug?"

Percy shakes his head to himself as he tries to hide from her the love struck grin he has on his face. Scooting closer to her, he buries his head on her shoulder while his arms weaved themselves around her body.

"You're not the cuddly type," he points out.

"Yeah, well I guess I can make an exception." Annabeth runs her fingers through his hair, and all he wants to do is stay on this moment forever. "Percy, I have something to tell you."

He nods from his place on her shoulder to let her know he's listening.

"I—I think...I think I'm ready to commit."

* * *

 **A/N** : So, long time no see? I've been trying to finish this chapter the last three days but procrastination got the best of me and well, this came late. But for those readers who are living on the eastern and earlier side of the globe, this could be a New Year's Eve update.

I'm really feeling lazy, but I wanted to write so badly. I have a lot of ideas in my mind that I want to transcribe into words but... Anyway, I need to read a book so bad in order to ignite the inspiration in me. Problem is, I couldn't find one. Whatever. Enough rant about me and leave a review.


	12. Chapter 12

CHAPTER 12

"Hello? Who is this?"

"Dad?" Annabeth asks in a small, child-like voice. "It's Annabeth."

"Oh, Annabeth! It's so nice to hear from you." A quick rustling, like the sound of papers being shoved aside on his cluttered desk. "How have you been?"

"I'm fine, Dad. Um, I have a stable job in one of my dream firms."

"That's so great!" he exclaims, and even though it has been years since she last heard his voice, she knows that he says it with pride. "Architecture, isn't it?"

"Y-yeah." She chuckles shakily, because she doesn't think she's mentioned it to him before. "How'd you know?"

"You may not remember it, but you used to sit on my lap and draw houses. You'd even play with the battleship figures on my desk to construct your own fort. And when you got older, you'd rather me buy you architecture magazines than toys," he reminisced fondly.

"I remember that. You used to play with me with your battleship figures before, and you always lose."

"Well, you were always good at strategy." She can hear him breathing over the speaker, and the stuttered breath he releases when he speaks. "God. I miss you so much, my child. It's been what—twelve or th—"

"Fifteen. Fifteen years," she clarifies. Small tears gather on the edge of her eyes. "I miss you too, Dad. I'm sorry for not getting in touch."

"No. I-I should be the one apologizing, Annabeth. I should've understood you," he says. "You know what? You should come over this Thanksgiving. We would love to have you. I—well, if that's okay with you?"

"Sure." She laughs, partly because she didn't expect that it would be this easy to be fix the rift that had remain open for years. "This. Talking with you feels really nice."

"Yeah. I miss talking to you so much. Last time I heard your voice, you were still so small."

"A f-friend," she lightly stumbles on the word, remembering Percy, "helped me realize that I shouldn't be harboring guilt towards you. He encourage me to call you and fix our relationship."

"You should invite that friend to come with you, then. I have to thank him for his encouragement," her Dad said.

"Yes, I will." Annabeth looked at her watch. "Dad, I would love to talk to you more but I'm afraid I'm interrupting you from your work."

"No, nonsense. Work can wait. I've waited for you for years."

"I know, but if you finish your work now then we can have all Thanksgiving to talk about everything else."

He huffs sadly. "You're right. But, promise you'd call?"

"Yes, I will. I promise, Dad."

"Okay. Okay." He sounds like he wants to say something. "You know that I love you, Annabeth?"

She smiles. "It's nice to be reminded, once in a while."

"Well, I love you so much. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me, don't you forget that."

"I know. And I won't. I love you too, Dad."

* * *

Percy looks down on his phone, seeing the unfinished messages piled on his Draft box and sighs. He pockets it after staring at it blankly for a minute.

Three days.

It has been three days since he last saw Annabeth, and three days since she confessed she's ready to commit.

God, he should feel ecstatic. He should be glad that all those talks and moments had paid off. Another successful case. Another successful relationship.

But instead of feeling happy, all that occupies his chest for the moment is a deep, heart-wrenching pain and guilt. He hasn't been able to visit her after; the burn that scorches his skin every time she so much smiles at him is far too painful to bear. Percy doesn't think he'll be able to sit by her side again knowing in a few months' time, there's going to be a ring on her fourth left finger from another man.

And here he is, stuck in the friend zone, wishing so much she would look at him the way she would at Luke. Wishing she could reciprocate at least a fraction of what he feels.

He sighs again, louder this time, and drops his head on the table.

Damn. Just when the Fates had decided to give him a love life, they just had to make it complicated for him.

His eyes catch on a couple passing by the window. They look wonderful, like they've got the world to themselves, and just then Percy steels his nerves.

He has to do what's right. No matter what he feels.

He grabs his phone from his pocket, chooses a draft message that seems sensible enough and presses send. He counts one, two and three, then takes a deep breath.

He's going to do it, even if it might break him completely in the process.

* * *

 _Message received_

 _From: unknown number_

 _Hey, Luke. It's Percy. We've already met. I'm Annabeth's counselor if you don't remember. There's something important about Annabeth that I need to tell you. Meet me at this coffee shop downtown tomorrow: The Hearth_

* * *

"Hey," a voice says above him. "You wanted to talk?"

Percy glances up from his cup and tries to send a small smile to Luke. It looks more of a grimace. "Yeah. Um, have a seat."

They sit in silence for a moment, both clueless on how to approach the topic. Luke starts.

"How's she doing?"

"She's great," Percy says quickly, and adds, "she's doing great, I mean."

"Oh. That's nice to hear," Luke says. "We haven't been in touch for a while."

Percy just sips his coffee because he doesn't know what to say to that.

"I heard she got a dog though. That true?" the blond asks.

He perks up. "Yeah. His name's Poseidon. I got her the dog when I thought it's Friendship Day."

Luke stares at him with wide eyes. "You bought the dog?"

"Um, yeah."

Instead of being put off like Percy thought he would, Luke chuckles instead. "That's crazy. I remember her cat's name is Athena, the ultimate rival of Poseidon, if my history knowledge still remains intact."

"That's right."

The conversation drops, and silence overcomes the atmosphere. Percy decides it'll be his turn to brave the silence.

"Annabeth told me about your relationship," Percy says. He doesn't glance at Luke, and instead, fixes his gaze outside the window.

"Yeah?"

"She told me about the failed engagement. And shared the reason why she's hesitant to take the next step with you."

Luke leans forward, like a desperate man eager for more. "Really? What did she say?"

Percy releases a breath and faces Luke. His mouth has been pulled into a sad expression. "She's afraid. Annabeth's afraid of commitment. That's why she couldn't bring herself to enter a relationship where the essence is commitment."

"Oh." Luke visibly deflates like a balloon. "I see."

"She's told you about her family?" Percy asks.

"Yeah. She always said she wanted to find her own family, because her real ones have turned their backs on her. So I thought, she wanted to have our own too," Luke answers. He shakes his head to himself. "Guess I was wrong."

"I don't think you are," Percy mumbles quietly. The words are hard to let go from his tongue, but he has to say it.

"I'm sorry?"

"I don't think you're wrong," he repeats. "You know, I've been talking to Annabeth about it. We have sessions sometimes.

"I know. And what happened?"

"The last time we talked, she's happy. Glowing even," Percy drawls on. God, does he have to say it? Can't he keep the words to himself so he can be with Annabeth for longer? He swallows. "And during that time, she—she, uh, confessed something."

"W—what did she say?"

Percy curls his fingers under the table until he can feel his nails digging on the skin and drawing blood. He needs to feel this pain. He needs to feel something more painful to numb the jagged edges of his heart piercing through his chest.

"She—she thinks...she thinks she's ready to commit."

* * *

 **A/N:** Hello. So I'm back. This is kinda short, but at least, AN UPDATE. Anyway, I think there's a fanfiction problem about receiving email updates. I haven't received one last time I updated another story. Which brings me to the topic that I UPDATED The Olympus Institute last week(?). For those who are also reading that, please do so and check the important announcement on the latest chapter. (Please do comment whether you want to keep reading or not.) Also, I posted a one-shot, she's just a little drunk in love, just in case you haven't read that too.

Please review and share me your thoughts on this chapter!


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Hi! A quick update because of a short weekend break from college. Anyway, this chapter is really short, but whatever. Please tell me what you think. :)**

* * *

The grin shows on her face before she even says the news.

Annabeth flops down on Piper's bed, face down. The brunette continues to type away on her laptop, pausing briefly to look at the smile on her best friend's face before her lips stretch too.

"Who died?" Piper asks.

A frown appears on her face, but Annabeth's good mood remains stuck nonetheless. "What?"

"I asked who died because you're grinning."

Annabeth rolls her eyes. Piper always made her seem like sadistic woman with an equally sadistic cat. Whatever. "I heard you the first time."

After making her final clicks on her blog's content, Piper slowly closes her laptop and turns to smack Annabeth's face with a pillow.

"What?" the blonde exclaims again.

"Funny how your vocabulary is reduced to 'what' just because you're happy," Piper comments and chuckles lightly. She lies down beside Annabeth with her head propped on one arm. "So, what happened? Any hot one night stands?"

Annabeth shoots up and gives her an affronted look. "God, what gave you the idea about hot one night stands?"

"So it is true."

"No. Of course not!" She pauses briefly, unsure how to phrase her words. "Something... something really nice just happened."

"Oh. So Percy finally asked you out."

"What? Piper, no." Even if she denied the accusation, her cheeks still flush a traitorous pink. "Why would he even ask me?"

Piper sits up too and fixes her with daring look, like she can't believe what she's saying. "Why not? You're both good for each other. You look good together. You're—"

"I called my dad."

Piper stops babbling. Her eyes widen in surprise. "You called your dad, whom you haven't seen for fifteen years?"

Annabeth nods slowly. She looks down on her fingers as she fumbles with the hole on her sweater. "And he invited us to Thanksgiving."

Piper squeals and hugs her best friend. "Annabeth, that's so great! I'm so happy for you." She pulls back to stare at the blonde. "Wait. He'd invited me too?"

"Well, no." Then she hastily adds, "But you could always come. I mean, you're always welcome to join, Pipes."

Piper narrows her eyes at Annabeth, with a curious glint in those irises. "So who is 'us' then?"

"Well, it's—I don't think—" Annabeth huffs, annoyed why she's suddenly so nervous. She glances up at the ceiling to avoid looking at her best friend's eyes. "I don't know who to choose."

"You could always pick me, y'know."

"Not the point, Pipes," she says as she rolls her eyes. "It's either Percy or Luke."

A mischievous grin spreads on Piper's face. "Why not both?"

"God, do you even know what you're saying? That's disaster!"

"I don't even get why you think it's a bad idea," Piper begins, her voice a little contemplating. "I mean why not? Why would it be a disaster in the first place?"

Annabeth glares at Piper, a little miffed out that her best friend doesn't understand what she's trying to say. "Piper. Those are two boys—I mean you know how jealous Luke gets—"

"Exactly. Is there something he should be jealous about?"

"I—um, what—no," Annabeth stutters, and for the first time, she actually questions her thoughts and emotions. Should Luke be jealous? "No. Percy and I are just friends, you know that."

 _Just friends. Is that what I really think? Percy's eyes are really green up close and there's an annoying freckle near his nose that I kind of want to kiss—wait, what?_

"Friends. Spare me the bull, Annabeth. You know that this 'who to bring to the Thanksgiving' thing is more than just that."

"I know."

"I asked you before if you still love Luke, but I guess I should've asked about what you feel for Percy. So, I'll ask now, what do you really feel for Percy?"

Annabeth feels her blood sing and her skin tingle like a livewire. _Percy percy percy—_

God, she feels like she could write a book about him and it still won't be enough to describe this wonderful, amazing human being. Her words would fall short of his stupid smile, his stupidly bright eyes and—and, her whole body bubbles with energy and light and she feels like a supernova on the verge of explosion.

"I—" Annabeth starts, but Piper raises a hand to cut her off.

"Don't tell me yet. Just let me know who you'd bring," Piper says with knowing smile, like she knows what's actually going to happen.

* * *

She first feels his presence before she even hears his footsteps. His gaits have always been purposeful; the way the soles of his shoes slap the pavement with careless abandon, nevertheless still filled with security that he knows what he's doing. She remembers those same footsteps walking up to her during her first year of college—when they first met. It feels so far away now, like a hazy memory passing by on a wistful summer. It's a wonderful memory, but that's what all remains of it—a memory.

Annabeth looks up and smiles at those bright blue eyes she once loved. "Hey, you came."

Luke grins back at her, and takes the seat opposite her own. "Of course I came. Can't give up the chance to see you again."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Hey, it's an update! This is the last chapter for this story, so...anyway, forgive me but this was really rushed and kind of went away with the original plan. I read again the whole story and goodness, it's a really a mess, like the messiest story there ever has been. Whatever.

I'd still like to thank everyone who has read this story (if ever there's someone still reading this mess) and please for the last time, spare me a review. [i know i know i'm greedy but please leave a review?]

WARNING: they're a little OOC and extreme Percabeth dorkiness

* * *

Sleep rarely comes to him these days, so in the actual days that sleep decides to grant his body some rest, forgive him if he's a little greedy for his bed, and his warm and soft comforter.

Right now, Percy thinks sleep is probably the most important thing in this world, second to his mom, or third, if you'd count Annabeth. So, really, excuse him if he ignores the incessant knocking to his door and instead, snuggles deep into his pillows. Sleep. Sleep is important. Sleep is—

"Perseus."

He cringes a little. "Sleep," he mumbles.

"I know you heard me knocking gazillion times."

Percy reluctantly turns to face her. He arranges his lips into a pout, and he knows she instantly softens with his bleary eyes and the baby seal pout.

Sally quickly recovers from it though, and she instantly places her hands firm on her hips, and fixes him a stern look. "You know I don't fall for those tricks anymore."

"T'was a good bet."

"Anyway, there's someone at the door looking for you—"

Percy grumbles and buries his face in the pillow. Sleep. "Send them 'way."

Sally clears her throat, probably anticipating the response. It's time to play dirty though. "Even if she's pretty with blonde curls and gray eyes and her name's Annabeth—"

His eyes immediately open when he hears pretty with blonde curls and what are the chances that pretty blondes named Annabeth come looking for him at his doorstep? Pretty sure it was close to zero.

Percy promptly ignores the smug smile on his mom's face at the moment, and chooses to scan his mind for any reason why would Annabeth want to visit his sorry ass.

 _Did we have a session today? Or we planned to have lunch? Maybe I said something wrong and she's here to rat me out and end our friend—oh god, maybe she figured out my crush on her oh no oh no—_

"Percy?" asks his mom, cautiously. "Are you okay? I can send her away if you want."

His mind shakes out from the momentary panic he caught himself into. He opens his eyes wide and runs a hand through his hair. He can do this.

"No, no. I'll face her myself," he answers.

Sally stares at him warily. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I can face her without freaking out."

There's a sly smile on his mom's face that he kind of doesn't want to know what that means. "Really? I was worried you'd pass out."

"Mom!"

"Anyways, I'll let her in and have nice few words with your crush."

"It's _not a crush_!"

" _Not a crush_ my foot."

* * *

The moment he steps in the living room and sees her, he stops breathing. Like the air is swooped away from his lungs, and his mind goes dizzy due to the lack of oxygen. He feels like he's died and floating in mid-air, watching his mom and Annabeth sitting on the couch, laughing like it's one of the most normal thing in this world. It really seems surreal, and he's half-thought to smack himself in the face just to know he's not dreaming. But before he can do it, Annabeth sees him and smiles her annoyingly gorgeous and breathtaking smile that he falls for every time.

Whatever. _Don't judge me_ , he thinks _. I'm just a normal guy with a crush_.

"Hey," Percy says coolly, trying to act like his heart isn't hosting a band concert. "I didn't know you'd come."

Sally hides a smile into her fist, probably laughing at his failed attempt to act cool.

Annabeth ducks her head shyly, and a small blush tints her cheeks. _Oh god, is she blushing? Please don't torture my heart like this—_ "Neither do I. I'm sorry for showing up unannounced. I guess I'm just used to you coming over any time and I—"

"No, no. It's okay. It's really okay," he amends hastily. "You know you could always come by anytime you want."

"Okay," Annabeth says, a little relieved.

But Percy isn't done yet. "When I said anytime, I meant anytime. Like even when it's midnight, or dawn, or—"

"Percy." The blonde chuckles a little. "I get your point."

"Oh. Oh. I mean of course, yeah."

"Yeah."

Out of the corner of his eye, he sees his mom subtly shaking her head while still hiding a grin on her fist. Probably still laughing at their pathetic attempt of flirting—wait, no. It's not flirting.

He and Annabeth are just talking like any normal friends, thank you very much.

"I guess this is my cue to leave," Sally says as she stands up from her seat. "I'm afraid a sudden inspiration had hit me and I have to write it down fast."

"It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Jackson," Annabeth says as she smiles at the older woman.

"I told you, call me Sally."

"Right, Sally."

"Oh well, I'll be off now." She glances back at Percy, her eyes narrowing. "Behave you two."

 _Oh god oh god, mom why?_

He risks a glance at Annabeth and he doesn't know whose face is redder, _but mom please shut up sometimes._

Percy pathetically covers his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry. I hope you're not mad, but y'know she's just joking. She says a lot of those things. You know, moms."

"I wouldn't exactly know," Annabeth looks down for a second, and he thinks he's completely messed it up. But then she glances up with a newfound twinkle in her eyes, and god forbid if his heart doesn't fall deeper than it is at the moment. "But I'd like to keep that in mind."

"Right, so," Percy says as he gingerly sits himself beside her. "What's up?"

"Well," Annabeth grins mischievously, like she's got a one big plan behind her. "For a start, Up is a movie where—"

"Annabeth," Percy mutters, half exasperated and half in love. "Please stop."

"What?" She smiles innocently at him. "You asked me what's Up?"

"You're such a dork."

"Hey, like you aren't one!"

"Eh," he shrugs. "You're the bigger dork."

She looks up at him with a grin. Has she gotten any closer? "The more adorable dork, you mean."

"Right," he whispers, momentarily lost in the hazy grey of her eyes. "You're adorable."

Her eyelids droop a little before she opens them again and moves back. The heavy feeling that sits on his chest has gotten heavier, and it seems that every breath he takes burns his lungs. _She had moved away._

Annabeth fiddles with her fingers on her lap and avoids looking at him. Her cheeks seem to burn but he guesses she's just embarrassed for making him think that he has a chance with her. Percy shrinks into himself, feeling more pathetic than ever.

"I need to tell you something," she mumbles without looking at him.

He clearly doesn't know what to say to that. Does he tell her that he knows, or should he act surprised and happy even if his world is crumbling beneath her feet?

"Congratulations," is what he tells her instead. Try to get this over with, as soon as possible.

Annabeth stares at him, like he just sprouted two heads. "What?"

"I mean, you and Luke. You two are now engaged, right? I'm really happy for you—"

Then she starts laughing. Like full on laughing with tears on the corners of her eyes and arms clutching her stomach. Percy partly thinks she isn't mocking him, but there's still anger and hurt bubbling inside him.

"I don't know what's funny," he says.

"I—I," she chuckles again. "It's—it's nothing." And she laughs again.

Feeling like he could no longer take the insult, he stands up. "Yeah. It's certainly nothing when you're laughing like that."

Fingers reaching onto his shirt and drawing him back, Annabeth steps in his space and buries her head in between his shoulder blades. "No, no. Oh god, Percy I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh and seem like I'm mocking you. Please don't go. I'm really sorry."

"Then why'd you laugh?"

"It's just—well, Luke and I are not engaged. And never will be."

"Oh."

"Yeah, 'oh'. And..."

"And what?"

"Will you promise not to laugh?"

"Well, you did laugh at me..."

" _Percy_."

"Okay. I promise not to laugh at you."

She clutches his shirt tighter on her fists. "And—and...I—well, I like you. Like more than a friend like you. It just seemed funny at that time when you thought I was engaged when I'm using all my luck to confess to you. That's—that's why I laughed."

" _Oh_."

"Will you say something other than 'oh'?"

He turns to face her and grins stupidly. "Can you pinch me on the arm?"

"Why?"

"Just to make sure I'm not dreaming."

Annabeth rolls her eyes, fondly. "I'll say you're not dreaming, but I'll pinch you just in case."

There's a prickling burn in his arm, and great, he's not dreaming. He opens his eyes and stares at her with warmth. "Hey, I'm not dreaming."

"I literally told you that a few seconds ago." She frowns at her feet. "I know I just told you I like you but, you don't have to feel oblige—"

He places his fingers on her lips, effectively silencing her. "Good thing you're lucky because I like you too."

She looks up at him, eyes wide. "You do?"

He shrugs, but there's an undeniable grin on his face. So much for trying not to act like he isn't head over heels. "Probably past liking. I'm a little in love with you."

The smile that lights up her face is probably brighter than any star he's ever seen. She leans up and kisses his cheek. "I think I'm a little in love with you too."

He ducks his head a little because the grin on his face and the blush on his cheeks is so embarrassing and he's just so ridiculously in love with this girl.

"I think you missed a little," he says.

"Did I?" she teases but it's good to see that she's blushing even harder than he is. "Your mom said to behave."

"But we aren't even—and it's just a kiss!" he protests.

Annabeth pulls back and places her hands on his chest, still grinning. "How about you meet first your girlfriend's parents and we can talk about a kiss?"

Percy tightens his arm around her waist and pulls her closer, beaming. "Girlfriend, huh?"

"What?" Annabeth squints her eyes at him, warily. "We're on the same page, right?"

"Of course, girlfriend."

She laughs and smacks his chest, playfully. "Stop mocking me, boyfriend."

"I like the sound of that. Well, if it's just meeting your parents for a ki—wait, what?!"

* * *

and that's a wrap,,,


End file.
